The Mysterious Dome Houses of Cape Romano, Florida

If you zoom in using Google Earth on the southern point of Cape Romano Island in Florida, you’ll find a curious set of round structures along the shoreline. These are the abandoned dome houses which have mystified the internet regarding their existence for many years. Who built them and what were they for?

According to the story, the dome houses were a vacation house built in 1982 by a retired businessman who was also an ambitious DIY enthusiast. The domes were way ahead of its time, sustained by solar panels, internal heating, and other ecological features. His family lived in the domes until 2005 until it was sold to another family and shortly ravaged by Hurricane Wilma all in the same year.

Today the dome houses are marching inch by inch further into the Gulf of Mexico, a popular site for urban explorers and adventurous photographers. The domes can now be accessible only by boat.