Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens

You can find Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens on the city’s eclectic South Street, only a few blocks south of the more stodgy historical stuff. The Magic Gardens is a folk-art “environment”, an immersive rabbit warren chock-full of funky mosaics, clay figures, and found items.

Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens

Most of the attraction is outdoors, in a mess of stairs, tunnels, alcoves, and passages. There are even chairs here and there if you want to sit and bask in it all. Glass bottles, pottery, bicycle wheels, bits of mirror, and painted tiles cover every available surface and then some. Created by mosaicist Isaiah Zagar in the ’90s, this space is adjacent to his art studio, which you can still see above, but not enter.

A few spaces are indoors, like a small gift shop, bathrooms, and a gallery with work from other artists. The gallery held work from artists in Mexico during my visit, including a section of prettily painted alebrijes. They say if you are in a wheelchair, you can still visit the Magic Gardens, but the bulk of what makes it charming would be inaccessible.

On the whole, I enjoyed visiting Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens, but I thought it would be bigger. And it can be crowded on the weekends, especially if it’s nice weather. I showed up on a sunny Sunday afternoon and it was pretty busy inside, making it more difficult to take pictures. And that’s not even mentioning the young ladies who take over a whole corner for an extended Instagram photoshoot.

Visiting the Magic Gardens

To visit Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens, reserve a timed ticket online before your visit. While they state that you can’t buy tickets onsite, there is a sign with a QR code out front that takes you to a website to purchase tickets on your phone. I did this and only waited 15 minutes before entering. The timed ticketing does rather mean that groups of folks tend to enter the maze at about the same time, however, so it might be worth arriving a little late to your ticketed time slot.

Hours

The Magic Gardens are closed on Tuesdays. The rest of the week, operating hours are 11 am to 6 pm, though they sometimes close early for events.

Plan for about 30 minutes to an hour for a comprehensive walk-through. I saw a mom with some kids on some sort of scavenger hunt, which sounds like a fun way to look a little more in-depth. But if you take your kids, be aware – there is a LOT of genitalia depicted in the Magic Gardens.

Admission

Admission to the Magic Gardens costs $15 for adults, $12 for seniors 65+, military (active and retired), and students with ID, and $8 for kids 6-12. Children 5 and under are free. For $25, you can take a guided tour Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays at 10 am, before the space opens to the public. There are other events, including Twilight in the Garden, an adults-only event with live music. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own booze and snacks. The cost is $25 for adults and $20 for students and seniors.

The Rest of the Neighborhood

Zagar created his mosaics in other parts of South Street, not just in the Magic Gardens. You can follow a map in the official brochure, or take a guided neighborhood tour on Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays at noon. The guided tour costs $20 for adults, $16 for seniors and students, and $8 for kids. It lasts for 75 minutes and includes entry to the Gardens.