The world around us is often made without accounting for those who don’t move as well in it. Public spaces can often be limited to someone with disabilities, especially children. So when one father realized his young daughter had no where to play and meet other children with Autism like herself, he decided to build a place on his own.
Gordon Harman said when he watched his then-12-year-old daughter, Morgan, struggle to make friends at a pool, it made him sad. From that moment on, he knew he needed to make something that would fix that for her, as well as other children.
And he did. Morgan, who has a cognitive delay due to Autism, needed a safe place to play with others who understood her. From that, ‘Morgan’s Wonderland’ was born. Located in San Antonio, Texas, it’s a highly-accessible theme park. It’s a place designed for people with or without disabilities to be able to play together, with nothing inaccessible to anyone.
Children play at Morgan’s Wonderland. Photo courtesy of Morgan’s Wonderland
“It’s a park for 100 percent of the people, not one for 90 or 80 percent of them, it’s for everybody, no matter how acute their special need may be,” Hartman told People magazine. “That’s what my dream was.” He wanted people to get a better understanding of those with disabilities.
It’s about not letting anyone feel different,” Hartman explained. “That’s what we tried to do with this park.”
Fulfilling his dream took time and money. After dozens of meetings to raise money, and work with engineers, doctors, therapists and architects, the design for the $35 million park was completed. By 2010, the park was finished. In 2021, they added a $17 million water park, named Morgan’s Inspiration Island.
From a fully-accessible train to a playground, the park has everything. Even a ferris wheel. The water park has a river ride that accommodates wheelchairs. The park provides wristbands that can keep track of people who are at risk of accidentally wandering away, as well.
The best part, admission is free for anyone with a mental or physical disability. The park, which loses about $1 million a year, depends almost completely on fundraising. “I realized Morgan was one of the lucky ones because she had many of the things she needed.”
I didn’t want cost to be a barrier for others with special needs,” Hartman said.
He said it was all worth it. His daughter, Morgan, who is now 23, keeps everyone at the park inspired to keep working to make it a better place for others. In spite of having the cognitive abilities of a 5-year-old, Hartman said she has improved greatly since the park’s opening.
“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,” Hartman said. It took Morgan three years before she would go on the carousel.
Children play at Morgan’s Wonderland. Photo courtesy of Morgan’s Wonderland
“First she would stand near it, then she’d get on an animal but we wouldn’t start it. It was a slow process but now she loves going on it. Overcoming something she was scared of meant a lot to her. Little things achieved in play can make a big difference.”
“Yesterday a man came up to me at Inspiration Island and just held my hand,” Hartman said. “He pointed to his son, who has acute special needs and started crying. He said he hadn’t been able to play in water before.”For Hartman, though, it all begins and ends with Morgan.
“Morgan knows the park is named after her, but I don’t think she understands the magnitude of what it represents and how it’s changed lives,” he said. “She doesn’t realize how she has dealt with things in life has made her a true inspiration.” For a look at Hartman and the amazing theme park he built for his daughter, and others, watch below.
