The Bowling Ball House

Late Monday afternoon, I had the pleasure of visiting the Whimsey House, or as it's known among the citizens of Safety Harbor, FL as the "Bowling Ball House".

The Bowling Ball House, featured in Home and Garden Magazine and the book, Weird Florida, is owned by 2 artists, Todd Ramquist and Kiaralinda.

"Safety Harbor, Florida - Bowling Ball Art Museum. There is a multi-colored house with more than 300 bowling balls lining the flower beds and bordering the house -- there is a bottle wall around the cactus garden, gardens of blue bottles on stakes, a zoo of funny sculpture animals called the Whimzoo. Several artcars often park in the parkingpit. There is a a colorful and ornately decorated gazebo and crabtrap buoy ornaments hanging from the gingerbread eaves. There's also a Bowling ball Art Museum that has 80 artistically manipulated bowling balls -- everything from corked, beaded and feathered ones to larger sculptures incorporating the ball somehow -- created and donated from artists from all over the country. Also a favorite golden ball was photographed with a bunch of celebrities -- Roy Rogers, Muhammed Ali, Bob Dole, John Denver. Overall, it's a fun and magical place that makes everybody who visits smile. [Whimz1, 03/04/1999]"

This is one of the strangest homes I can honestly say that I've ever seen. It's something that has to be seen to be believed. If you ever travel to the Tampa Bay area, be sure to visit this house. You won't regret it.

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