One of the wonderful things about living in Florida is that it's always full of surprises. You never know when you're going to come across a new piece of wildlife, culture or history you've never encountered before. For example, you would probably never expect to find a fairytale castle while driving on A1A near St. Augustine, but here it is:
Looking at the castle, you would never guess that it was actually built in the late 1990s by Rusty Ickes and Ottis Sadler.
It was created as a Christian landscape sculpture to look like an 10th-century Irish church, and you can clearly see their mission in the architecture and interior design.
They began building without a permit, so it actually ended up being zoned as a garage. Later, when they tried to allow monthly tours of the castle, neighbors who were frustrated with the increase in traffic complained.
Unfortunately, this led to the end of the monthly tours, and now most curious visitors have to be satisfied with only seeing the outside of the fairy tale castle.
Occasionally, the castle is made available for school or church groups or small, intimate weddings, by appointment only.
Although you might not be able to venture inside, the castle is often lit up beautifully at night, adding to the ambiance of the already scenic A1A.
So next time you're near St. Augustine, take a small detour and check out this impressive artistic achievement. For a moment, you might even feel you've entered a faraway place and time.
Have you seen Castle Otttis or any other castles hiding in Florida? What's the coolest unexpected gem you've found in the Sunshine State?
Subscribe to our newsletter
Get the latest updates and news
Thank you for subscribing!