Amusement Park News

Now under development in Wentzville, Missouri, the Spirit of Discovery Park, an inclusive and accessible theme park for visitors with “mental, physical or intellectual disabilities,” should be an exciting new entertainment destination built for those with special needs.

At sixty-acres, the development will be just the second of its kind in the U.S., after San Antonio, Texas' Morgan's Wonderland.

Designed for accessibility for guests with “Down's syndrome, autism, PTSD, any person battling a life-threatening disease and the hearing, visually, mentally and physically impaired” per the website, the park has already performed necessary environmental and economic impact studies and is proceeding with the development of architectural drawings and renderings for city approval. It has also launched a supportive fundraising campaign and has already reached over $330,000. Opening is targeted for 2025.

The park will cost about $100 million in all to complete, and outside of the donated funds, the developers are raising money through grants, fundraisers, and a variety of outreach programs including to corporations and philanthropists. Wentzville's mayor Nick Guccione believes that if they build it, people will come “from all over the world” making the Missouri community a destination.

The goal of the park will be to provide everyone, regardless of capabilities, the ability to enjoy a theme park experience. Construction should take three years to complete, and the park will include a playground area, a greenhouse, rides, splash pads, sensory areas, an arcade, and even a dog park. Guests with a disability will be admitted at no charge, with accompanying visitors paying only what the park is describing as a nominal fee.

The park's co-founder, Jamie Vann describes the project as a “joy,” and her mission as a committed one to “build this amusement park for all abilities.” She points out that while many people have good memories of theme park visits past, not everyone is lucky enough to experience them. Those with physical or mental disabilities can experience too many challenges to enjoy traditional theme parks.



With that in mind, the park is focused on being a welcoming destination for those with Downs syndrome, autism, PTSD, or for anyone battling a life-threatening illness. It will also be accessible to the hearing, visually, mentally, and physically impaired. With this diversity of future guests in mind, Vann is planning something for everyone; attractions, and interactions that a variety of guests will enjoy doing and be able to do. “Everyone at the park is going to have something that they can do and that they want to do, and all the needs of all of our communities will be taken care of, but we are focused on those with special needs,” she says.

Architect Rick Hill is helping with the design for the park and asserts that it will go beyond accessibility for those in wheelchairs. The park will be constructed to encompass everyone from guests with epilepsy to those with autism, and all aspects of comfort are being integrated into the design.

“We're looking at all the different [guests] and trying to accommodate them here,” he says.

The greenhouse is planned to include elevated gardens, so that those who are confined to wheelchairs can pick fresh fruits and veggies off the vine. There are interest levels to accommodate not just children but wheelchair-bound grandparents or disabled adults who also want to do something with their children.

Wentzville is 40 minutes south of St. Louis and was chosen as a location when a friend who had visited Morgan's Wonderland suggested that the idea would be a good one for the area. The same friend had told Vann that her family would not go to Disneyland because of the lack of accommodation for one family member who has Downs Syndrome.

Vann notes that The Spirit of Discovery Park will combine both pure entertainment and education in its attractions and conceptualization.

She's not planning on any coasters or thrill rides, but she does intend to feature a carousel, a Ferris Wheel, a jeep ride, a barn, and both sensory and edible gardens. The greenhouse, with its platform design is being designed by a former cast member at Disney. The accessible raised garden beds will allow visitors to be literally “lifted up” to allow them to pick fruits and vegetables. A collaboration with St. Louis University led to the concept of the elevated garden beds.

Along with being accessible and welcoming to those with disabilities, the park's founders have committed to goals in hiring inclusively as well, as they plan to hire veterans, providing job training skills and placement.

Inclusivity is on everyone's mind in regard to theme parks these days. Legoland Florida has earned a certified autism center designation. It's also the location of the world's first Peppa Pig Theme Park, which offers accessible ride vehicles and attractions. Twenty-six of Six Flags Entertainment Corporation parks have also earned the Certified Autism Center designation from the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards. Sesame Place and Dollywood also have such designations. According to  Sesame Place San Diego/SeaWorld San Diego's park president Jim Lake, “We've really made a special effort to make sure that everybody understands what type of experience each of our attractions offers …regardless of who you are.”

Meredith Tekin, president of autism certification credentialing organization IBCCES, says it's all about empowering visitors so that they “not only feel comfortable going to that location because they know what to expect, but we also want them to be able to choose their own adventure."