BEST WATER PARK IN TEXAS
BEST WATER PARK IN TEXAS
This past weekend saw the opening of the nation’s first “all-accessible” water park in San Antonio, Texas, offering splash-and-splish enjoyment to individuals of all abilities, including those with physical limitations and those on the autistic spectrum.The park, known as Morgan’s Inspiration Island, has a rain curtain, a riverboat ride, many pools with water pistols and other games, and a seven-story lighthouse. In order to assist guests who might not be able to withstand cooler temperatures, a large portion of the pool’s water is warmer than usual. Additionally, according to a recent TIME story, every attraction is wheelchair-accessible, and a lot of the rides provide free waterproof wheelchairs, so guests with physical limitations don’t have to worry about their main battery-powered rides becoming wet.
Admission is free for visitors with disabilities, $15 for adults, and $11 for kids ages 3-17.
The new attraction is the brainchild of Gordon Hartman, founder of The Gordon Hartman Family Foundation. The foundation specializes in projects and programs that benefit the special-needs community. Hartman named the park after his daughter, Morgan, who has cognitive and physical disabilities.
In a statement released last week, Hartman was quoted as saying that the new park is not just a place for visitors with special needs, but rather a place of inclusion for everyone. “We hope to inspire guests with special needs to do things previously thought not to be in their range of capabilities,” he said. The release noted that while designing the new park, the Hartman Family Foundation consulted with water park experts, doctors, special needs therapists, special education teachers, parents, and caregivers.
The park also provides free waterproof bags that protect ventilators and O2 tanks from getting wet, as well as free water collar covers for guests who need to cover their tracheas. Other all-accessible features throughout the park include ramps and adult changing tables.
Morgan’s Inspiration Island sits adjacent to another park that bears the name of Hartman’s daughter: Morgan’s Wonderland. That park, which is about 25 acres, opened in 2010 and was also designed to maximize opportunities for guests with disabilities.
Morgan’s Inspiration Island is open daily throughout the summer until mid-August, then on weekends in August and September. The park will close for the season in the fall.