Coral Castle
Published On: Oct 24, 2006

Coral Castle of Miami is a tremendous work of Latvian imagination. But even more than that, it is a true expression of last that will last forever.

Ed Leedskalnin was born in Riga, Latvia. At the age of 26 he was engaged to be married to Agnes Scuffs, his lifelong love. She was 16 years old and Ed affectionately called her his "Sweet Sixteen." Unfortunately for Ed, however, Agnes called off the wedding the day before. Ed left her heartbroken and set about to build a monument for his lost love.

The remarkable thing about Ed Leedskalnin was his size. He stood barely more than 5 feet tall and weighed all of 100 pounds. Having lived in Texas, California, and Canada, he moved to Florida in 1918 to find a climate more favorable to his tuberculosis. It was there, in Homestead, Florida, that he would build his monument of love - Coral Castle - to his Sweet Sixteen.

Ed spent three years moving the coral he would use to build the castle 10 miles to Homestead. He had no machinery to help him and no automobile. Supplied only with his bicycle and his firm imagination, along with the help of a Republic truck chassis and a tractor, Ed Leedskalnin built his love a castle. Ed built the castle at night by lantern light so no one ever saw him working on it.

With only a fourth grade education, Ed Leedskalnin built a monumental structure that has been compared to the works of ancient wonders like Stonehenge and the Great Pyramids. The Coral Castle walls weigh 125 pounds per cubic foot, stand 8 feet tall and 3 feet thick. Each section is 4 feet wide. The entire structure of walls weigh more than 58 tons. No one knows how Ed managed such a feat and if they asked him how he did all this work he would only reply that he understood the laws of weight and leverage very well. Indeed, he did.

The crown of one man's life's achievement, Coral Castle took Ed Leedskalnin 28 years to build, from 1923 to 1951. In December of that year, Ed grew ill and checked himself in to Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami after leaving a sign on the door of the castle that said, "Going to the Hospital." Ed left behind $3,500, his life savings, culled from tours of his love castle, which he gave for 10 cents or a quarter.

Today, the Coral Castle gives tours of Ed's testament of love and the gift shop carries a collection of coral trinkets and gift items in addition to several of Ed Leedskalnin's writings.

Coral Castle is listed in the National Registry of Historic Places. Scientists, engineers, and scholars have been baffled by this monumental feat since Ed first unveiled it. Many people have called him a magician or ascribed to him mystical or supernatural powers. The Coral Castle has also been the subject of several features on "Ripley's Believe It or Not," "In Search Of," and "That's Incredible!"

Coral Castles hours are Sunday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. all year long.

Coral Castle
28655 South Dixie Highway
Homestead, FL 33033