COLORFUL SISTERS

Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens – Wonderland of Mosaics and Art | Pennsylvania

Philly’s Magic Gardens could not be more perfectly named. They certainly are an extremely magical place. In my opinion the best hidden gem of Philly, no trip is complete without stopping by to see the beauty.

Visiting the Magic Gardens

A small wonderland of beauty and art, a maze of endless bright and colorful mosaics, I’ve visited the Magic Gardens twice. This amazing place is constructed out of bicycle pieces, glass bottles, ceramic shards, and other recycled materials.

Philly's Magic Gardens Philadelphia

In the 1960s artist Isaiah Zagar (South Philly native) began tiling South Street in Philly and he hasn’t stopped since! You can see some of his artwork just walking down and around South Street itself, but the museum is stunning beyond compare with its almost overwhelming compilation of colors, textures, and designs.

Philly's Magic Gardens Philadelphia

The museum itself consists of an indoor and an outdoor area. Although it is quite small, there are endless little nooks to explore and interesting tidbits to discover. Since most of the artwork is mosaic style, it’s so fun to look at the pieces in detail, read what is written, and try to interpret it.

Philly's Magic Gardens Philadelphia

Cost

The cost per person per visit is $15. Advance tickets are required due to corona and can be purchased on the museum’s website here.

When to Go

Although it is not extremely popular and many people have not heard of it, the museum is rather small, so there will probably be a decent amount of people there when you visit. If you’re looking to take nice photos, consider going in the morning. There will be less people and also the lighting is softer (the mirrors in the artwork reflect the sunlight a lot)

Opening Hours

Philly’s Magic Gardens are open every day from 11am-6pm except for Tuesday on which they are completely closed!

Philly's Magic Gardens Philadelphia

Tips for Visiting Philly’s Magic Gardens

  • Parking-Parking is usually pretty simple in Philly (we’re not New York) and street parking is usually easy to find. Of course there are parking garages as well, but street parking is usually safe and simple. On normal occasions, South Street in particular has plenty street parking options right near the museum
  • Safety– Philly overall is a pretty safe city, especially for tourists that won’t be traveling to the more dangerous neighborhoods. As in all cities, always be careful of theft, lock your car doors, keep an eye on your belongings, and be extra cautious at night. South Street, where this museum is located is a generally safe area as well, specifically during the day.
  • Traditional Philadelphia– Philly has some pretty famous landmarks- The Liberty Bell, the Philadelphia Art Museum, the Rocky Steps, and more! If you’re looking for travel tips for visiting the typical places check out this site!
  • Food– If you’ve never been to Philly before, you should definitely try some traditional Philadelphia foods. The most famous are Philly Cheesesteak and Soft Pretzels. I promise you won’t be disappointed!

Things to Do in the Area

Located on South Street, Philly’s Magic Gardens are in a great place with many fun things to do right nearby. The street itself is one of Philly’s most famous streets. Music lovers, artists, hipsters, lawyers, and ruffians combine to make this incredibly unique place with an unmatched vibe.

South Street

Spend some time exploring this famous street! Whether you’re looking for the perfect Philly cheesesteak or a hipster café, there are countless options of fun places to eat. Vinyl stores and eccentric music shops line the roads. Street artists offer their goods. Eclectic styles and risque fashion shops are endless. There is certainly no end of interesting places to explore in the area.

And stay on the lookout for bits of the Magic Gardens that linger beyond just the museum!

Retrospect Vintage

One of my favorite places in all of Philly is located on South Street, just a few minutes’ walk from the Magic Gardens. Retrospect vintage is a storehouse of adorable and one of a kind vintage pieces. Specializing in the 1940s to the 1980s there are so many goodies to be found here. Shoes, hats, jackets, sweaters, dresses, accessories, and so much more.

Looking for more fun things to do in Philadelphia? Check out our post HIDDEN GEMS OF PHILADELPHIA – DAY TRIP TO THE CITY OF BROTHERLY LOVE for more fun ideas and places to see.

If you have extra time traveling in Pennsylvania, we certainly have a list of amazing places to visit. Check out our USA-Pennsylvania page here!

Lots of Love and Safe Travels,

Danielle and Brooke, Colorful Sisters

60 Comments

    1. Such an amazing place!!

      1. i see that!!! 😎

  1. […] View the full post: PHILADELPHIA’S MAGIC GARDENS – WONDERLAND OF MOSAICS AND ART | PENNSYLVANIA […]

  2. Good things to know, we were supposed to go there last year. Hopefully we’ll get there!

    1. Yess hopefully you’ll make it there one day!! Truly a special place 🙂

  3. Wow great information and colourful photos. Real feast to my eyes, as if I saw the place.

    1. Oh wow thank you so much! Happy you enjoyed 🙂

  4. Been to this city many times, but I had never visited this place. It is on my ‘must see’ list.

    1. Yess hope you manage to stop by on your next visit!

  5. I lived in Philly for 12+ years. A beautiful city with many hidden gems like this one. Good job!

    1. Very very true! We grew up about 45 minutes outside of the city, but visited often 🙂

  6. What an amazing place! I have never heard of this place before. Thank you for sharing this.

    1. Yess it’s really so unique!! Such a hidden gem 🙂

  7. Colorful pics. You both look gorgeous 💕💕

    1. Thank you so much!!!

  8. Always loved that block of 10th Street between South Street and Bainbridge!

    1. Yesss it is such a fun and special area!!

      1. Used to walk past it every day on my commute home from work when I lived in South Philly.

      2. Ohh how lovely!! What a wonderful thing to see on the walk home 🙂

  9. Beautiful pics💟💟

    1. Thank you so much!!!

  10. you make such a nice model.

    1. That’s so sweet! Thank you 🙂

  11. great cheorograpghy

    1. Thanks so much!!

  12. Love this!! We’re close to Philly and I can’t believe I’ve never heard of it!
    Beautiful, thanks for sharing!!

    1. Ooo yess they really keep it hidden hahaha. I hope you get to visit sometime!!

  13. That looks cool! I’ve been to Philadelphia once one day to see the historical stuff and have a cheesesteak sandwich, but I haven’t seen this place.

    1. Yess the traditional things and the cheesecake are also great. Hopefully you’ll be able to visit sometime again!

      1. I will, someday!

  14. I haven’t been to Philly in years! Thanks for bringing back its sparkle.

    1. Wonderfully put! It reallly does have a special sparkle 🙂

  15. The city looks so beautiful!

    1. It really has its wonderful areas for sure!! So many beautiful nooks 🙂

    1. Very spectacular!

  16. Hello!! You’ve such colorful, beautiful photos! I’ve nominated you for the 10 Day Travel Photo Challenge!

    https://joyfulstephanie.me/2021/01/17/10-day-travel-photo-challenge-day-6/

    It’s for fun, no pressure to participate! Here is to our love of travel! 🇨🇦

  17. Beautiful blog post about Philadelphia. I love in the burbs and love our brotherly love city.

    1. Oo amazing! We grew up in the suburbs of Philly as well, it was always a pleasure to visit the city 🙂

  18. Great photos ladies. Very colourful pictures showing the character of the places you’re visiting. It seems like you pop up in a different country every other week almost, how are you finding that with the current crisis? It seems you’re both still managing to find places welcoming tourism. Keep it up and all the best.

    1. We have managed to travel quite a bit this year surprisingly…mostly because my boyfriend and I (Danielle) are long distance, so we always need to find an open country where we can meet! So very grateful to Turkey, Zanzibar, and Kenya for being open to tourism. The visit to the states was to our hometown to see our parents 🙂

      1. Paul Arthur Collins

        January 19, 2021 at 7:24 am

        Ah right, well I’m glad it’s working out for you guys. You sure do seem to explore some less frequented areas, so thanks to you both for shedding your light on those otherwise less celebrated spots. All the best to you!

      2. Yess we always try to find the hidden gems and less traveled roads 🙂 You can find the most beauty on those paths. I’m very happy that you enjoy and hope that maybe you can visit some of them one day! 🙂

  19. Thanks for taking me there! Have visited Philly but probably before this wonderful garden. Beautiful.

    1. So happy that you enjoyed 🙂

  20. Hello colourfulsisters. I would like to get to no you more

  21. Beautiful. Liked & Shared. Thank you.

    1. Thank you so much! 😍

  22. Wow, the Magic Garden looks great! How creative and I love all those colours. Thanks for sharing.

    1. Such a lovely place 🙂

  23. very beautiful, thanks for sharing. Lots of love from Germany. Yours, Sovely

    1. Thank you so much! Happy you enjoyed 🙂

  24. I really enjoyed reading this blog post. The Magic garden’s art work reminds of NYC Subway mosaics when I used to live out there. Now i’m living in Pittsburgh, PA and I can’t wait to take that four hour drive to check out the magic garden in Philly

    1. Amazing!!! I hope you make it out there….it’s really such a fun experience!

  25. Very good, as always. A very worthwhile place to visit. I grew up in Philadelphia and went to a school founded by William Penn. About as “Philly” as you can get, yet, I didn’t know about this place. So, once again, thanks.

    1. Wow amazing!! Hope you get to visit this new discovery of a location sometime soon!!

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