A multimodal cardiac phantom has a body structure with a shape and properties that mimic the elasticity, ultrasound, and magnetic properties of cardiac tissue. The multimodal cardiac phantom is advantageously produced from a polymer such as polyvinyl alcohol. The polyvinyl alcohol may include magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) markers and ultrasound markers. The multimodal cardiac phantom can be used to evaluate and to configure apparatuses for imagining cardiac tissue.