Isaiah Zagar, Mosaic Artist Who Created Philadelphia's Magic Gardens, Dies At Age 86

CBS Philadelphia

February 20, 2026

Isaiah Zagar, a mosaic artist who founded Philadelphia's Magic Gardens, died Thursday at age 86, from complications related to congestive heart failure and Parkinson's Disease, the local art space announced.

The Magic Gardens are a rite of passage for any first-time visitor to the City of Brotherly Love, and a fixture of the South Street streetscape. Practically every square inch of the Magic Gardens museum, on South Street between 10th and 11th, is covered in mosaics made from bits of glass bottles, mirrors, tiles and found objects like bike wheels.

While the Magic Gardens are his best-known work, Zagar is responsible for more than 50,000 square feet of mosaic works around Philadelphia, and created over 200 other works across four other states and in Mexico and Chile. You can find some other places showing Zagar's work here.

Isaiah Zagar poses for a photo at 4th and Bainbridge streets in the 1970s. He set down roots on South Street in 1968/Philadelphia's Magic Gardens/CBS Philadelphia

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