Back in 2006, Gordon Hartman was on vacation with his daughter, Morgan, who has both physical and cognitive disabilities.
The sight of his daughter’s confused and upset expression pushed Hartman to look for a place that would welcome her without reservations.
Unfortunately, Hartman couldn’t find a suitable location that met his needs.
Driven by a strong desire to create an inclusive environment, he sold his homebuilding business with a new goal in mind.
He envisioned a theme park where ‘everyone could do everything, where people with and without special needs could play’ together.
In 2007, Hartman, who was a former property developer, began consulting with doctors, therapists, and families to gather advice.
This consultation was in preparation for building the park on a 25-acre site in San Antonio, Texas. By 2010, Morgan’s Wonderland was ready to open its doors.
Interestingly, Morgan was not immediately taken with the carousel. It actually took her three years to gather the courage to ride it.
Her father shared with the BBC: “When we opened she was too scared to go on it. She didn’t understand why it was going around and the animals were going up and down.
In 2017, Hartman set out to expand his vision by launching the world’s first ‘ultra-accessible’ splash park, Morgan’s Inspiration Island.
Talking about the waterpark and its sister site, he told Southern Living: “This unique park is a special place where anyone can have fun but they were created with individuals with special needs in mind.
