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Philadelphia's Magic Gardens
Magic Gardens Studio
Mosaicked from floor to ceiling in vibrant handmade tiles, international folk art, reclaimed bicycle tires and more, Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens Museum and Studio glisten with limitless creativity.
Isaiah Zagar, a local artist who began tiling South Street in the 1960s, has made all of South Philly his canvas, covering its walls and streets with hundreds of vibrant murals.
But the Magic Gardens Museum, along with the Magic Gardens Studio, are his magnum opus.
Read on for more about these iconic Philly attractions.
Covering an indoor and outdoor space equivalent to half a city block, Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens is an over-3,000-square-foot indoor/outdoor found-item mosaic constructed from cement, bicycle spokes, bottles, ceramic shards, other artistic knick-knacks and pure imagination.
The tiled passages of the Magic Gardens weave over- and underground — and, perhaps more than anything, through the mind of a dedicated and inspired artist. Museum guests can explore two indoor galleries featuring rotating exhibitions by artists from around the world before wandering through the immersive bi-level outdoor sculpture garden boasting Zagar’s signature, bold mosaics.
The museum also hosts an awesome slate of regular programming, including guided site tours, kid-friendly PECO Family Jams programs and monthly after-hours events featuring live music and art workshops called Twilight in the Gardens.
— Photo by D. Knoll for Visit Philadelphia
Located just one mile (a 25-minute walk!) from the flagship museum, the artist’s former workspace is hidden away on a quiet residential street in South Philly.
Representing Zagar’s largest body of work, the Magic Gardens Studio was once an auto-repair shop before its complete transformation into an immersive creative space, three times the size of the museum.
A snug alley covered in the local artist’s handmade tiles and artwork leads the way into the brilliantly mosaicked art environment. Walk under eclectic found-object chandeliers crafted by fellow artist (and a close friend of Zagar) Warren Muller and among walls shaped out of those vibrant tiles, folk art, plates, bottles and more.
Like the Magic Gardens Museum, the studio also hosts tours, workshops and community programming on select dates.
— Photo by Visit Philadelphia
In the 1960s, a group of artists and entrepreneurs began renting derelict storefronts and recreating the South Street neighborhood. At the forefront of that movement was Isaiah Zagar.
In its early years, the Magic Gardens Museum faced an uncertain future. Zagar began building the labyrinthine sculpture on land he didn’t own and, in 2004, the absentee landlord put it up for sale.
After a public outcry that resulted in an outpouring of community support and donations, the nonprofit organization Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens was formed to purchase and maintain the grounds and preserve the artist’s legacy.
Today, the Magic Gardens Museum is the gateway to both a moment in Philadelphia’s history — the South Street Renaissance — and the work of an artist whose odyssey continues to be living, working and playing on Philadelphia’s South Street.
— Photo by J. Fusco for Visit Philadelphia
For more about Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens, click the button below.
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The only way to fully experience Philly? Stay over.
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Which will you choose?