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.
TripAdvisor/taz321
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.
Yelp/Naty K.
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.
TripAdvisor/Judi E

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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.
TripAdvisor/Tonia M
Occasionally, the castle is made available for school or church groups or small, intimate weddings, by appointment only.
TripAdvisor/DGF8
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.
TripAdvisor/DGF8
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.
TripAdvisor/Judi E

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?

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