Almost at the tip of southern Florida is an amazing structure that has garnered the attention of tens of thousands of visitors each and every year. Located just over 30 miles of Miami Florida exists one of the most amazing and mind altering tourist attractions in the world. Compared most often to Stonehenge in England, this megalithic marvel rests on the side of the South Dixie Highway as you travel to the Keys

Originally called “Rock Gate Park”, the Coral Castle is a complex built entirely of coral. Its builder, Edward Leedskalnin, constructed this structure over a 20 year period from 1920 until about 1940. Standing only 5 feet tall and weighing a mere 100 pounds, the mystery and the secrets behind the Coral Castle and its builder still confound experts today.

Like many great stories, this one begins with the love for a girl. At the age of 26, Edward Leedskalnin fell in love with a woman by the name of Agnes Scuffs. Affectionately calling her his “Sweet Sixteen”, Ed dedicated the Coral Castle to this woman, a woman that rejected him and did not love him.

Using only primitive tools that can still be seen in what is called “Ed’s Tool Room”, the tour guides at the Coral Castle will show you around this amazing structure. Many of the guides have completely different opinions. Some of them think that Ed harnessed an energy or techniques that had been forgotten by the ancient Egyptians. Only after rediscovering what the pyramid builders of Egypt had known thousands of years ago did Ed have the capability of building one of the seven wonders of the modern world.

Ed’s plans for marriage, for living with a woman and two streams for the rest of his life, and for children of his own was shattered. Completely devastated, he packed up the belongings he had been left the country of Latvia, the place that he called home for many years, and journey across the ocean to begin a new life.

During his journeys, Ed Leedskalnin traveled throughout Canada, California, and eventually ended up in Texas. He worked in the lumber industry and also took part in cattle drives. The image of Ed is one of a rugged who would be able to tackle the greatest challenges. Unfortunately, his luck ran out after arriving in the state of Texas.

For an unknown reason, Edward Leedskalnin left Texas and ended up in Florida City, Florida, where he was found by a real estate agent and his wife nearly dead lying on the ground. Despite the fears that surrounded those that had tuberculosis, this couple took Ed in. Ed’s small and frail physique made him particularly susceptible to this disease. However, despite the odds stacked against him, he is one of the few people on record to have ever had a late stage case of tuberculosis and made a full recovery, a full recovery that may be attributed to his ability to manipulate stones.

Weighing only 100 pounds and standing a mere 5 feet tall, with the help of a local realtor and his life, Edward Leedskalnin fully recovered from his tuberculosis. Between the years 1918 in 1920, had purchased a single acre of ground in Florida City from the realtor that helped save his life. He purchased it for $12 and began to work his magic with coral.

Armed with the belief that America was the land of extremes came true, and began to build in business for himself. Constructing what has been called a garden of rocks; Ed quarried, lifted, and sculpted domestically shaped pieces of coral directly out of the ground that he purchased. Ed carved out chairs, tables, and even a 30 ton obelisk that stood 40 feet high without using modern machinery.

Today, this 30 ton obelisk stands waiting for everyone to see in Homestead, Florida, the final destination of what we all now call the Coral Castle. Florida has many areas where the coral runs several thousand feet thick, and is easily accessible buying just a few inches beneath the topsoil. Although many of Ed’s earlier creations seemed to have a domestic appearance, the Coral Castle is much more than the potential housing for a wife and children that he would never have. It’s astronomical precision seems to hold a clue to its true purpose and genius.

Although it has been said that no one ever saw Edward Leedskalnin working, there are several pictures that can be seen that show Ed at work apparently using enormous tripods with a black box attached to the top of them. Enormous pulleys seem to be aiding in the excavation of the Coral at the Homestead site. Unfortunately, researchers such as Christopher Dunn have shown that based upon the photographic evidence, and the primitive tools left behind which can be seen at the Coral Castle today, there is no way that this is the answer to the 1100 ton question.

One of Ed’s greatest creations is a single piece of coral called the Obelisk which weighs nearly 30 tons, stands 40 feet above the ground, and rests in the 6 foot deep hole. Today, modern engineers and modern equipment would be unable to duplicate what Ed was able to do with simple tools over 70 years ago. His secrets died with him in Miami in 1951, secrets that still puzzle modern engineers today.

This particular coral artifact stopped spinning during the 1980s and it took several engineers, several workers, and a 60 ton crane to try to repair the door. Today, it still pivots back-and-forth but even with the modern equipment and modern engineering techniques that we have today, the university of Miami Florida and its best engineers were unable to replicate what Ed did in just a matter of days with no help.

It is literally only a 30 minute drive from Miami. Take an hour out of your day to not only see one of the most amazing tourist attractions in South Florida. You will not be disappointed and you will be left completely amazed.