13 Places In Florida You Thought Only Existed In Your Imagination

This lovely park started as the site of a phosphate mine in the 1960s and was later converted into this sprawling park. Here you'll see lots of old live oaks standing tall or toppling over, their roots exposed due to the eroding landscape.

This colorful artists' home, also locally known as The Bowling Ball House, is decorated with bright colors, all kinds of crazy yard art and, yes, tons of bowling balls. They've been painted and lovingly arranged to create this whimsical effect. It's kind of hard to explain, but if you love art, it's definitely worth seeing for yourself

The Florida Caverns are special because air-filled caves are not as common here as in other parts of the country. This park in the Panhandle offers the only public cave tours in Florida.

This fascinating attraction in Homestead was built and sourced completely by one lovelorn Latvian man, without modern machinery. He claimed to know secrets of the universe that helped him move the monoliths.

Torreya State Park is a hidden gem in northwest Florida. At first glance, this scene doesn't even look like Florida, and that's because it's taken from a 150-foot high bluff. This park is also home to the very rare tree for which it is named.

Monkey Island came into being when a man developing the land that would later become Homosassa Wildlife State Park needed a place to put his misbehaving monkeys. He wanted guests to be able to watch them from a safe distance. Thus, Monkey Island was born. This tiny place is still attracting curious visitors today.

Spook Hill is a mind-bending attraction Lake Wales. Visitors who follow the posted directions can watch as their cars seemingly roll uphill, defying gravity.

Devil's Den is one of North Central Florida's most beautiful hidden gems. It's a karst window (basically a collapsed cave over an underground river) located not far from Gainesville. Not only is it a stunning sight to behold, remains of prehistoric humans and animals were found in one of its passages.

By most accounts, Stiltsville began in the 1930s when several offshore clubs cropped up about a mile south of Cape Florida. These clubs were popular hangouts for all kinds of wealthy and influential people seeking to indulge in vices such as gambling. This ended abruptly when a hurricane in 1965 damaged the community beyond repair. The remaining seven houses are maintained and protected by the National Park Service, but the interiors are still off-limits.

How did a monastery that's older than this country possibly end up in South Florida? This 12th-century marvel was purchased by publishing mogul William Randolph Hearst in the 1920s, but his plans were put on hold by shipping complications. It was finally purchased once again in the 1960s and reassembled here in Florida.

This historic landmark is the largest freshwater pool in the United States, pumping in 820,000 gallons of clear spring water from the aquifer, where it returns when drained. It was completed in 1924, with coral structures modeled on the Italian city of Venice. The beautiful surroundings, complete with waterfalls, make this a unique swimming experience. Keep in mind that The Venetian Springs is closed during the fall and winter seasons.