What can one do in Philadelphia which is not rooted in the deep history of the forming of the country? Not related to sports? The rich history of Philadelphia includes many of the the early activities in forming this great country. However for something a little different, there is also come great art.
One of the places, for the art lover, and the curious is the Philadelphia Magic Garden. It is an immersive mixed-media environment completely covered with mosaics. A different experience to say the least. The Creator, Isiah Zagar, used recycled materials, handmade tiles, bottles, and other materials to produce this site.
A little History
In the 1991, Mr. Zagar began his work on the garden in a vacant lot neat his studio. He first started with mosaics on the buildings of either side. Then slowly started building multi-layer walls and mosaics out of materials he found around the city/area of his studio. Apparently this was done without the knowledge of the lot owner. In 2004 the owner began to investigate selling the land. (Calling for the mosaics to be dismantled). The community came together and saved the work, and titled the land as the Philadelphia Magic Gardens. Becoming a non-profit organization striving to preserve the work.
Our Visit
With a scheduled trip to the Philadelphia area, my smoking-hot wife and I had booked a hotel in the King of Prussia (in the Philadelphia outskirts). We were there to celebrate the marriage of dear friends. We book all of our travel the least expensive way. (No refunds or cancelations). Some unfortunate circumstances delayed the wedding and we were bound to get our money’s worth. We took advantage of the long weekend and headed to the Philly area; we needed something to do. We discovered the PMG online and made a day trip to the city.
Location:
1020 South St, Philadelphia PA
Tickets:
Order your tickets online for a time slot. The only allow a specific number of visitors in the garden. (This allows you to enjoy the scene, and keep safe).
Link: Philadelphia Magic Gardens Art Gallery
Parking:
We used a garage across the street. There was some street parking with time limits. Which because we were early, could not use.
Hours:
11:00 AM to 6:00 PM. (Except on Wednesdays)
Cost:
About $15 a person.