Whimseyland-a West Coast delight

Located on the west coast of Florida, near the town of Safety Harbor (15 miles from Tampa),  Whimseyland is a colorful experience for all ages.  Using mosaic tiles, discarded and painted bowling balls (over 500 and counting), broken bottles, old chandeliers, and other recycled materials, artists Todd Ramquist and Kiarlinda spent over two decades transforming their neighborhood into a color explosion. 

Walking around Whimseyland is like being a part of a living art exhibit.  As mosaic glass wind chimes tinkle in the Florida breeze, you find a surprise around every corner.  You have entered a living storybook as you stumble upon meticulously arranged tiles, painted walls and colored bottles decorating the trees. 

The kaleidoscope of color inspires your imagination as you search for the unusual ways the artists have utilized recycled materials. Do you have leftover Mardi gras beads or Christmas ornaments?  These can be used to decorate the ceiling of a tropical gazebo.  How about a SpongeBob, left over from your child’s birthday party?  SpongeBob can welcome visitors to your tropical backyard paradise.

SpongeBob welcomes you to Whimseyland

Do you have an old Volkswagen bug ?  Why not paint it and cover it with old transistors?

VW bug

Brightly colored plastic flowers, broken statues, old gold picture frames with glass removed, gold and iridescent pinwheels, and live green plants, all have a place in Whimseyland.  These items are reused, recycled and rehomed to create vibrant front yard landscape.

Beautiful tile work at Whimseyland

Blue glass bottles adorn the tree and seem to melt into the lush green plants landscaping the yard; a great mixture of nature and recycling working together.  Brightly painted seashells and a small statue of a wide-eyed child find a home in the foreground of the glass bottle tree. The ever-present painted bowling balls delineate the pathway and serve as a border for the vibrant ceramic tile work.

Colorful front yard display

A sliver of a crescent moon rests on painted rock sculptures.  The tile work on this piece is meticulously placed with white and other primary colored buttoned tile borders, pops of tiny red and yellow tiles highlighting the artist’s beautiful azure colored sculpture.  Don’t let this picture deceive you; this is a life-sized sculpture, over 6 feet tall that resides in the artist’s front yard!

Crescent Moon yard display

There is even a little free library in Whimseyland, where neighbors share their used books with the public. The pedestal library box and surrounding landscape are adorned with cheerful beads, a lively painting and a sunny colored LOVE statue.

Little free library

While visiting Whimseyland is free, there is a box for donations to the project. Venmo and PayPal may also be used by scanning the QR code.   There are also small paintings, light streamers, cards and aluminum whimsey wire for sale.   The owners state that while they love animals, they “kindly ask that you refrain from bringing them onto our property.”

Items for sale at Whimseyland

Whimseyland is a paradise for your imagination.  The unrestrained use of color and found unusual objects make this place a delight for the senses.  Come to Whimseyland and let your imagination run wild!

If you are interested in creating, try these tiles available from Amazon.

Or how about using this National Geographic Kit with your kids:

When you start playing with ceramic tiles and other found objects the possibilities are endless. Happy creating and let your imagination go wild!

Best,

Jennifer