Why this millionaire built a water park for children with disabilities

Thekabarnews.com—Gordon Hartman’s decision in 2005 shocked many in the business world. The Texas real estate developer sold his business for about $51 million. But he didn’t leave to look for a bigger fortune. He decided to make something very personal instead.

During a family trip, everything changed. Hartman saw his autistic daughter, Morgan, try to play with other kids in a hotel pool. The kids silently stepped aside when they didn’t grasp what she was doing. Morgan didn’t complain or cry. She just left. That moment of silence altered everything.

Hartman shifted his focus from helping his daughter fit into the world to questioning why public spaces failed to welcome children like her. From that thought came a big idea. He wanted to make a location where people with impairments may play freely without any obstacles.

He opened Morgan’s Wonderland in San Antonio in 2010. Developers designed Morgan’s Wonderland to ensure full inclusion for individuals with diverse abilities. Unlike regular amusement parks, those only add a few accessibility features. 

The park features wheelchair-accessible rides, sensory-friendly areas, and staff trained to provide support. Most importantly, people with impairments can get in for free every day. There is no need for particular paperwork or set deadlines for the coverage. The mechanism itself includes inclusion.

Hartman later built on the idea with Morgan’s Inspiration Island. People recognize it as the world’s first fully accessible water park.

Families from all over the world come to Morgan’s Wonderland today. The initiative has become a model for inclusive design. It shows that making things accessible doesn’t mean giving up something; it means being intentional.

Hartman’s narrative teaches us something more general. Real change frequently starts when someone goes beyond sympathy and decides to overhaul the system completely.