Whimzeyland - Safety Harbor, Florida

1206 3rd St N. Safety Harbor, FL

Todd Ramquist and partner Kiaralinda bought a small wood house on a quiet street in a Tampa suburb in 1986. The beige color was uninspiring, so they painted it purple. A little while later, they found 40-some bowling balls at a flea market, which became yard decorations. They added more bowling balls outlining the garden and in a small pyramid. Soon neighbors nicknamed it "The Bowling Ball House", but the balls were only the beginning. In the 1990s the couple decorated the house for Christmas with over-the-top displays of lights and sculptures. One year they wrapped the entire house in silver mylar and tinsel, another year they added baubles and stripes to look like a candy gingerbread house. Thousands of sight-seers came to see the whimsical displays each year, with donations going to charity.

Whimzeyland is a home base for Todd and Kiaralinda who travel extensively to art fairs around the country selling sculptures made of bent aluminum wire. They've created a number of art cars decorated with mosaics, recycled computer parts, or wire filigrees. The couple, who sometimes call themselves the "Whimzey Twins", have been busy promoters of the arts in Safety Harbor, starting an annual singer-songwriter music festival, and leading the creation of the nearby Safety Harbor Arts and Music Center as a home for creative people of all types. Across the street from Whimzeyland they turned another small house into Casa Loco, a rental home for visitors.

The garden itself is open during daylight hours, though visitors are reminded that it is the artists' home. Mosaic pathways lead the way between palms and dense Florida greenery. Sculptures made by folk artists, tiki carvings and other surprises peek out from the flowers. Bottle trees reminiscent of other art environments gleam in the sun. A gazebo salvaged from a historic restaurant at the center of the garden is used as an open-air craft workshop. Oversized flowers made from recycled plastic drink bottles are a remnant of a Christmas display theme of recycling. The exuberant bright colors and clutter fit right in with the tropical density of the garden.

"Quite ADisplay!" Helen A.S. Popkin, Tampa Bay Times, December 7, 1991

"Whimzeyland's curb appeal," Philip Morgan, Tampa Bay Times, April 10, 2022