In Remembrance of the Cape Romano Dome House

Fellow curiosity seekers, 

We gather here today to remember the Cape Romano Dome House. Constructed in 1980 and finished in 1982, the Cape Romano Dome house has been a source of oddity to locals and tourists. Many were fascinated with the abandoned house's design because it was out in the middle of the ocean (technically 300 ft from Morgan's Point), thanks to Mother Nature. Let us take a moment to reminisce about the Cape Romano Dome House.

I remember this unusual home in 2021 when my mom was working on moving into an apartment in Florida for her winter home. She looked up a shelling boat tour that was in Marco Island. During the tour, the guide gave an excellent, lengthy talk about shelling and sea sponges. We went to a sandbar for a bit and gathered shells. Then, the guide took us on a scenic route to show us an unusual site—a dome-shaped building standing on the last of its legs in the middle of the ocean. I thought it looked like a dystopian future house, and the under-the-sea city of Atlantis had a baby. The sides of the home were covered in graffiti. The water wasn't enough to drive away artists. The only residents at the time were seabirds perched on top of the home and barnacles on the house's legs. A pungent, foul stench filled the air as we approached the domes of seawater and bird waste. It stood in all of its glory that bright sunny day. 

Its existence was conceptualized around 1978 when retired oil producer, Bob Lee, came to Morgan Island hoping to build a vacation home. In 1980, the house was born. It was a whopping 2,400 sq ft with three bedrooms and three bathrooms. In 1992, Hurricane Andrew damaged the house so badly that Bob and his family abandoned it. 

Over the years, Florida and the home faced many hurricanes. Because of the fierce storms, the house would drift further out to sea due to land corrosion. This would also eventually lead to the Cape Romano Dome House's demise. 

Tragedy befell the dome houses in September 2022 when Hurricane Ian destroyed Marco Island's wonder. The Marco Island wonder no longer stood. What only remained were stubs from the legs that held up the domes for many years. On the boat touring site, Florida Island Tours, the website mourns their loss as it states, "On September 28th, 2022, Category 4 Hurricane Ian desecrated SW Florida and destroyed the Cape Romano Dome House with 150 mph winds and storm surge of 10-15 feet. Although we no longer offer a Cape Romano Dome Houseboat tour, the domes and all our friends we've taken there over the years will remain in our memories forever. RIP Dome Home!" 

We mourn the loss of a beloved home. Let us silence the Cape Romano Dome House, as it was one of Florida's genuinely unique structures.

Website mentioned in article

https://floridaislandtours.com/boat-tours/