Morgan's Wonderland
29°32′20″N 98°23′31″W / 29.539°N 98.392°W / 29.539; -98.392
Morgan's Wonderland is an accessibility-focused theme park in San Antonio, Texas founded in 2010. The park was developed by Gordon Hartman, a former homebuilder from San Antonio. Morgan's Wonderland has had over a net million guests since its opening in 2010.[2] The park features several attractions including rides, playgrounds, gardens, a catch-and-release fishing lake, a special-event center, and 575-seat amphitheater. The park's focus on accessibility makes it free for disabled individuals to attend the park.
History
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a8/Gordon_Hartman_at_TEDx_SanAntonio.jpg/220px-Gordon_Hartman_at_TEDx_SanAntonio.jpg)
In 2005, Hartman sold his homebuilding business to establish The Gordon Hartman Family Foundation so he and his wife, Maggie, could aid children and adults with special needs. During a family vacation, their disabled daughter Morgan wanted to play with kids tossing a ball in a hotel swimming pool, but when she approached them, they abruptly took their ball and vanished. "I'll never forget the look of anguish and dismay on Morgan's face, so I decided there had to be a way to bridge the gap of misunderstanding about people with special needs. That incident was the tipping point for Morgan's Wonderland and ultimately Morgan's Inspiration Island," Hartman said.[citation needed]
On March 3, 2010, Morgan's Wonderland opened,[3] with NBA legend David Robinson and actress Eva Longoria as special guests.
Starting in 2012, Toyota partnered with the park as a long-term sponsor.[4]
On June 17, 2017, Morgan's Wonderland unveiled a major addition: the Morgan's Inspiration Island splash park.
In 2020 the park closed after only 11 days into the season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[5] The park reopened for the 2021 season at limited capacity.[6]
In 2022 the park hosted the Special Olympics Texas Summer Games.[7][8]
Events
The park holds a Snowball Run annually in December, which involves both 5K and 1K walking/running events.[9] The events are open to all ages and abilities.
Related complexes
Morgan's Inspiration Island
On June 17, 2017, Morgan's Wonderland unveiled the Morgan's Inspiration Island splash park.[10] The park features waterproof wheelchairs that guests can use.[11] Some parts of the park use warm water, to be accessible to visitors with certain muscular conditions.[11]
Morgan's Sports
In 2021 Morgan's Sports opened, which includes wheelchair-accessible baseball/softball and football fields, and basketball, pickleball, tennis, and volleyball courts.[12]
Morgan's Camp
In summer 2022 Morgan's Camp opened, an accessible camping program that can serve about 500 campers of any ability.[13] The San Antonio Food Bank uses the camp's kitchen year-round.[14]
Morgan's MAC
The Multi-Assistance Center (MAC), which provides medical services to disabled individuals, opened on October 2, 2022.[15] As of its opening, services provided included therapeutic care, dental care, and same day surgery.[15]
Awards and recognition
Morgan's Wonderland and Morgan's Inspiration Island have been acclaimed for their emphases on inclusion and accessible design.
Year | Award |
---|---|
2017 | World Waterpark Association – Leading Edge Award[16] |
2017 | Paralyzed Veterans of America – Barrier-Free America[17] |
2017 | Amusement Today – Park of the Year[18] |
2018 | TIME – World's Greatest Places[19] |
2018 | USA Today – Best New Attraction (Runner-up to Wonders of Wildlife)[20] |
See also
Texas portal
References
- ^ Bates, Claire (August 4, 2017). "How one man built a $51m theme park for his daughter". BBC News. Retrieved August 4, 2017.
- ^ Hartman, Gordon. "You Only Are Disabled in an Environment that Makes You That Way". YouTube. TEDx Talks. Archived from the original on December 15, 2021. Retrieved July 17, 2022.
- ^ "American Heart: Creating a Theme Park for Those With Special Needs". ABC News. Retrieved July 25, 2021.
- ^ "Morgan's Inspiration Island is First-Ever Water Park Designed for Disabled Kids". Swimming World News. July 11, 2019. Retrieved January 13, 2023.
- ^ Merlin, Lalla (September 15, 2021). "Accessibility for all at Morgan's Wonderland". Blooloop. Retrieved January 13, 2023.
- ^ Salinas, Rebecca (January 15, 2021). "Morgan's Wonderland announces 2021 opening dates for theme park, sports complex". KSAT. Retrieved January 13, 2023.
- ^ Bird, Tyson (April 28, 2022). "San Antonio's Morgan's Wonderland Caters to Kids with Disabilities". Texas Highways. Retrieved January 13, 2023.
- ^ Santana, Steven (May 9, 2022). "Special Olympics Texas returns to San Antonio after 2-year hiatus". mySA. Retrieved January 13, 2023.
- ^ Ramirez, Emily (November 30, 2022). "Morgan's Wonderland to host annual Snowball Run in December". KSAT. Retrieved January 13, 2023.
- ^ "Everyone Is Welcome at the World's First Accessible Water Park". The Mighty. Retrieved July 25, 2021.
- ^ a b "Morgan's Inspiration Island is First-Ever Water Park Designed for Disabled Kids". Swimming World News. July 11, 2019. Retrieved January 13, 2023.
- ^ Mendoza, Madalyn (June 29, 2021). "$4 million sports complex by Morgan's Wonderland now open in San Antonio". mySA. Retrieved January 13, 2023.
- ^ Foster, Jordan (October 12, 2021). "Morgan's Wonderland opens all-inclusive camp; summer camp slated for 2022". kens5.com. Retrieved January 13, 2023.
- ^ "Welcome To Morgan's Wonderland". Camp Business. Retrieved January 13, 2023.
- ^ a b "Multi-Assistance Center at Morgan's Wonderland offers one-stop approach to caring for special needs community". kens5.com. September 22, 2022. Retrieved January 13, 2023.
- ^ "Multiple Leading Edge Awards for WhiteWater at the 2017 World Waterpark Association Show". Blooloop. October 19, 2017. Retrieved July 14, 2021.
- ^ Deakin, Liz (May 3, 2018). "Paralyzed Veterans of America Honors San Antonio-based Luna Middleman Architects with 2018 Barrier-Free America Award".
- ^ "The Golden Ticket Awards | Presented by Amusement Today". The Golden Ticket Awards | Presented by Amusement Today. September 9, 2017. Retrieved July 14, 2021.
- ^ "The World's 100 Greatest Places of 2018". Time. Retrieved July 14, 2021.
- ^ "Best New Attraction Winners (2017) | USA TODAY 10Best". 10Best. Retrieved July 14, 2021.
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