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 Entrance of Morgan's Wonderland | |
| Location | San Antonio, Texas, United States |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 29°32′20″N98°23′31″W / 29.539°N 98.392°W /29.539; -98.392 |
| Status | Operating |
| Opened | March 3, 2010; 15 years ago (2010-03-03) |
| Slogan | Where everyone can play! |
| Operating season | March - December |
| Area | 25 acres (0.10 km2)[1] |
| Website | morganswonderland |
Morgan's Wonderland is an accessibility-focusedtheme park inSan 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.
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 hotelswimming pool, but when she approached them, they abruptly took their ball and vanished.[3] "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.[4]
On March 3, 2010, Morgan's Wonderland opened,[5] withNBA legendDavid Robinson and actressEva Longoria as special guests.
Starting in 2012,Toyota partnered with the park as a long-term sponsor.[6]
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 theCOVID-19 pandemic.[7] The park reopened for the 2021 season at limited capacity.[8]
In 2022 the park hosted theSpecial Olympics Texas Summer Games.[9][10]
The park holds a Snowball Run annually in December, which involves both 5K and 1K walking/running events.[11] The events are open to all ages and abilities.
On June 17, 2017, Morgan's Wonderland unveiled the Morgan's Inspiration Islandsplash park.[12] The park features waterproof wheelchairs that guests can use.[13] Some parts of the park use warm water, to be accessible to visitors with certain muscular conditions.[13]
In 2021 Morgan's Sports opened, which includeswheelchair-accessiblebaseball/softball andfootball fields, andbasketball,pickleball,tennis, andvolleyball courts.[14]
In summer 2022 Morgan's Camp opened, an accessible camping program that can serve about 500 campers of any ability.[15] The San Antonio Food Bank uses the camp's kitchen year-round.[16]
The Multi-Assistance Center (MAC), which provides medical services to disabled individuals, opened on October 2, 2022.[17] As of its opening, services provided included therapeutic care, dental care, and same day surgery.[17]
Morgan's Wonderland and Morgan's Inspiration Island have been acclaimed for their emphases on inclusion andaccessible design.
| Year | Award |
|---|---|
| 2017 | World Waterpark Association –Leading Edge Award[18] |
| 2017 | Paralyzed Veterans of America –Barrier-Free America[19] |
| 2017 | Amusement Today –Park of the Year[20] |
| 2018 | TIME –World's Greatest Places[21] |
| 2018 | USA Today –Best New Attraction (Runner-up toWonders of Wildlife)[22] |
