Philadelphia's Magic Gardens

Isaiah Zagar was born in 1939 and received his art education at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York City. In 1968, after serving for several years in the Peace Corps in Peru, he moved to South Philadelphia to open the Latin American shop The Eyes Gallery. This would be the first Philadelphia area site for one of his mosaic-covered spaces, as he wanted to create a "Folk Art Environment" for the gallery.

He and his wife Julia were committed to trying to beautify and revitalize what was, at the time, a very derelict neighborhood in Philadelphia. Together they bought run-down buildings and remodeled them, often adding mosaic art to both their interior and exterior spaces.It was in 1994 that Zagar started working on the vacant lot adjacent to his studio on South Street. This would be the origins of the now-famous "Magic Gardens".

After building a large fence to protect the 3,000 square foot space, he began what would become a 14-year effort and journey of building tunnels, creating grottoes, building walls and layering them with tiles, found objects, bottles and mirror fragments. The mosaic work also covers the entire building of the studio, creating a flowing indoor/outdoor environment. But the mosaics are not simply random collections of miscellaneous objects; they tell the story of Isaiah's life and the lives of his family members. They mark important world and neighborhood events, from the local dance community to the victims of September 11, 2001.

1. Location: The Magic Gardens are located at 1020 South Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19147. Getting there is easy from anywhere in Center City, and its also on the Route 40 SEPTA bus.
2. General hours: The Gardens are typically open during the following hours of the day: Summertime (April - October): Sunday - Thursday: 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM; Friday and Saturday: 11:00 AM - 8:00 PM. Wintertime (November - March): Sunday - Thursday: 11:00 AM - 5:00 PM; Friday and Saturday: 11:00 AM - 8:00 PM. The Gardens are closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with shortened hours on other holidays and during private events.
3. Admission prices: $5 for adults, $2 for ages 6-12, free for children 5 and under. No reservations or advance tickets required unless you are a self-guided group of over 20 individuals.
4. General rules/policies: Casual photography is allowed, as are food and drink. Children under 16 must be supervised by an adult, and running/horseplay in the Gardens is not allowed.
5. Guided tours: Take place throughout the year, including through the surrounding neighborhood where more mosaic art by Isaiah Zagar can be found. Check the Magic Garden Website for further information.

I hope you've enjoyed this brief "virtual" tour of Philadelphia's Magic Gardens. It's one of my favorite places in Philadelphia to visit and explore, especially when I can bring others there to experience it for the first time themselves. There is always something new to discover there, whether it's a different way to view the world around you, or even a new way to view yourself.

Do you have and final thoughts or comments to share about this page or the Magic Gardens? If so, please sign this guestbook before you go... and thanks for visiting!