One of the world’s greatest mysteries is an American site known to only a relative handful of people. But the Coral Castle sculpture garden in Homestead, Fla., ranks alongside the Egyptian pyramids as the world’s most mysterious and unexplained structures.Further mystery attached to the Coral Castle is that it was completely built by a 100-pound man in the 1940s – moving objects weighing many tons — without use of modern construction equipment.
As explained by Coral Castle officials:
If you had visited Coral Castle in the 1940s you would have been greeted enthusiastically by a man weighing a mere 100 pounds and standing just over 5 feet tall. He would have asked you for ten cents admission and introduced you to his fantasy world.
As you moved around his sculpture garden in stone, and the significance of each piece was explained, you would have been witness to the great pride Ed Leedskalnin took in his work.
Since it is documented that no one ever witnessed Ed’s labor in building his beloved Coral Castle, some have said he had supernatural powers. Ed would only say that he knew the secrets used to build the ancient pyramids and if he could learn them, you could, too.
Today, you can tour the Coral Castle using audio stands, with narration available in English, Spanish, French or German. The site also has knowledgeable guides available to conduct tours. Features of the Coral Castle Museum include a 9-ton gate that moves with just a touch of the finger, a Polaris telescope and functioning rocking chairs – all made entirely of stone.
Leedskalnin never had any assistance, working alone – mostly at night by lantern light — for 20 years (1920 to 1940). He originally called his home “Rock Gate Park” in Florida City. But he was reportedly dumped by his fiancée and eventually moved to Florida City while suffering from tuberculosis. He began building his coral home in 1920. Then in 1936, when a planned new subdivision threatened his privacy, Leedskalnin moved his entire home 10 miles to Homestead.
Incredibly, there has never been a record of any witnesses who saw Ed performing his miracles. Some say they saw him using a truck to bring the huge blocks of rock to his site, but no one is known to have seen him single-handedly moving any of the stone,
Many of those who visit the site come away shaking their heads in amazement.
For more information on this amazing site: Coral Castle Museum, 28655 South Dixie Highway, Miami, FL 33033. Phone (305) 248-6345. Website: www.coralcastle.com. Opens daily at 8 a.m.
