All photos courtesy of Morgan's
Remember Morgan’s Sports, the first 100 percent accessible sports park? The facility included five championship tennis courts, 14 pickleball courts, a standalone accessible softball field and covered basketball courts – all of which could be used by those with mobility or cognitive challenges, and fully staffed by a support team experienced in assisting with sports events for those with special needs.
Morgan’s campus also included a theme park, known as Morgan’s Wonderland, a camp with everything from horseback riding to campfires (Morgan’s Camp), a catch and release fishing lake with a boat, the Queen Morgan, to take visitors around, a water park (Morgan’s Inspiration Island) and a multi-use center (Morgan’s MAC), complete with a salon (Morgan’s Salon).
Morgan is actually a person; in fact, she is the inspiration for all this. In 2006, two parents, Gordon and Maggie Hartman, took their child, Morgan, who has developmental and physical challenges, to a hotel swimming pool while on vacation. Morgan, they saw, was hurt and embarrassed when other children excluded her from their games.
The website notes, “Observing the pained look on Morgan’s face, her parents resolved then and there to create a fun, colorful, barrier-free environment where those with and without special needs could come together to have fun and better understand each other.”
In 2010, Morgan’s Wonderland opened, followed by Morgan’s Inspiration Island (2017), Morgan’s Sports (2020), Morgan’s Camp (2021) and Morgan’s MAC 2022. In 2024, the theme park announced $6 million in new attractions, including a 4-D cinema, a passenger boat ride, a zipline attraction called Rocket’s Sky Flight Adventure – and a wheelchair-accessible ride named Jette’s Magic Bikes (this in addition to a number of other attractions including a merry-go-round that would accommodate those in wheelchairs).
Additionally, the multi-use center has added an ambulatory surgery wing and a dental center. A multi-media studio was also brought in.
And, says Morgan’s rep, they’re just getting started.
The most recent news bears that out. The area, currently undergoing some renovations, expects to debut new features, including the following:
- Morgan’s Hotel, a first-of-its-kind, Ultra-Accommodating™ hotel, is expected to far exceed the Americans with Disabilities Act standards and be easily accessible to everyone, regardless of age or ability. This venue is expected to help attract even more visitors from different areas to take advantage of the various facilities at Morgan’s.
- Morgan’s Sports Fitness Center: The Ultra-AccessibleTM, fully inclusive facility will provide specialized fitness equipment for individuals of all abilities, and will offer both individual and group fitness sessions, as well as open gym opportunities.
- Morgan’s Inclusion Institute: This entity uses a curriculum developed with the input of guests from every aspect of Morgan’s, and is expected to welcome businesses, organizations, non-profits, governmental entities, and others who want to learn and implement how they can integrate inclusion and accessibility into all aspects of their work and life.
- Morgan’s Wonder Care: A new facility that will provide day care for medically fragile individuals, a significantly underserved population. The forthcoming facility is described as a Prescribed Pediatric Extended Care Center (PPECC).
Expect more from Morgan’s; however, those interested in discussing events to be held at the sports park (or anywhere else on the Morgan’s campus) can contact Morgan’s Sports president, Barry Mills, at barry@morgans.org.
Worth noting: In 2023, Morgan’s founders, Gordon and Maggie Hartman, were inducted into the Hall of Fame of the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) for their visionary work in creating inclusive experiences.
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