The Brief
- A historic Wesley Chapel property featuring dozens of hand-built sculptures is opening for nighttime statuary tours.
- The late artist Lewis VanDercar, known as the “Dali of Miami,” originally built the whimsical compound in 1973.
- Family members are welcoming the community back to share the art, natural wildlife and peaceful atmosphere.
WESLEY CHAPEL, Fla. – A unique art sanctuary in Pasco County is opening its doors to the public this month for nighttime guided tours through its collection of fantastical hand-crafted statues.
Lewis VanDercar sculpture property history
The backstory:
Lewis VanDercar was a Florida sculptor and surrealist painter known for his whimsy and larger-than-life persona. Born in Flint, Michigan, in 1913, he worked as a Popeye animator in Miami before serving as a merchant seaman in World War II.
By the early 1960s, VanDercar turned his Miami home into a sculpture garden overflowing with cement gargoyles and mythical creatures. He famously crafted “Annie” the fire-breathing dragon at Dragon Point on Merritt Island in 1971 before buying land in Wesley Chapel.
Wesley Chapel Warlock House tours
What we know:
In 1973, VanDercar moved to an eight-acre property in the Quail Hollow area of Wesley Chapel, where he built a dome home surrounded by dozens of hand-built statues of dragons, wizards, gargoyles and Buddha.
Known as “The Warlock House,” the property served as a creative haven and host location for family Halloween parties until his death in 1988. …