Texas Tours and Travel by Wheelchair

In Texas, "Everything is bigger," and, so often, bigger is better. You'll find a delightful variety of bigger and better wheelchair friendly attractions in the vast Lone Star state!

Morgan's Wonderland, San Antonio

Morgan's Wonderland is the only park of its kind--specifically designed for people with disabilities. The park was founded by philanthropist Gordon Hartman, who was inspired to make a park where his daughter, Morgan, who has physical special needs, could easily partake in every attraction available.

Many exciting activities can be found at the Sensory Village. Visitors can participate in interactive videos at the Paramount Theater. The Saddle-Up Stable holds two equicizer horses (similar to mechanical bulls). You can even create a symphony composed by tools at the Fix-It Shop, and design your own car and test drive it. The KMWL7 TV station lets guests predict the weather forecast and see themselves on TV!

Take a ride on the Wonderland Express 1930s-style train with specially designed wheelchair ramps so everyone can join in! Check out fascinating performances at the Starlight Amphitheater! Go off-roading on the Off-Road Adventure Ride, round and round on the carousel, or fishing at the Wharf.

Need a break from all the excitement? Relax and enjoy the scenery of the eight-acre lake, gardens, and fountains on the Walk & Roll Path. Grab a snack at The Picnic Place, or play with water-spinning water wheels, squirting pipes and more at Water Works! And who doesn't like to swing?! The Traditional Adaptive Wheelchair Swings allow everyone and anyone to swing freely!

Morgan's Wonderland is completely wheelchair accessible.

Riverwalk, San Antonio

The Riverwalk, also known as Paseo del Rio, is a famous public park open year-round. You can explore a plethora of shops, restaurants, nightclubs, and hotels located along the beautiful San Antonio River. Take a boat tour to view the splendor of the river and pick out your next destination. Rivercenter Mall is among many popular destinations, as is the La Villita Historic District, where you can find shops and galleries featuring local and regional artists.

The boat tour has room for one wheelchair, but a companion will have to be seated a short distance away. The majority of the Riverwalk is wheelchair accessible with ramps, pathways, and elevators. Before visiting, be sure to download the accessible maps which show the best paths and locations of elevators.

Space Center, Houston

Big enough to hold lots of tours and exhibits that will fascinate you. If you aren't already awestruck by space travel, you will be after you check out the Space Center! Visitors are taken through the NASA Space Program and are encouraged to participate in interactive displays such as the Feel of Space, which gives you an idea of what it would be like without gravity.

The NASA Tram Tour educates guests on astronaut training, development of space missions, and the newest space robotic technologies. The Blast Off Theater brings to life the act of launching into space. It's not just a movie, it's a personal launch into space with rocket boosters and exhaust! The Space Center Theater is the largest theater in Texas, with a five-story-tall screen and digital projector that will take you into an exhilarating space adventure! And don't forget to take a look at the remarkable spacesuits in the Astronaut Gallery.

The miraculous Starship Gallery includes the film "On Human Destiny" at the Destiny Theater. You can also follow the evolution of America's Space Flight, which includes: the original Goddard Rocket, the Mercury Atlas 9 "Faith 7" capsule, the Gemini V Spacecraft, Lunar Roving Vehicle Trainers, the Apollo 17 Command Module, the Skylab Trainer, and the Apollo-Soyuz Trainer! Don't forget the Kid's Space Place, with cool interactive exhibits to explore!

One thing is sure--you won't leave the Space Center without learning a thing or two. If you can't get enough of the Space Center in one day, there are overnight programs and Scout Camp-Ins. The center is wheelchair accessible, and they have wheelchairs available for rent.

The Alamo, San Antonio

The Alamo is the landmark of the famous 13-day battle where nearly 200 defenders fought thousands of Mexican invaders in the Centralist army of General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna. The Alamo consists of three buildings--the Shrine, Long Barrack Museum, and Gift Museum. You can also visit the stunning Alamo Gardens, which are located very close to the Riverwalk.

Admission to this memorable site is free, because The Daughters of the Republic of Texas (who manage the Alamo) rely solely on purchases made in the Gift Museum and donations from individuals and private foundation grants--so be sure to take home a gift or make a donation. For a small fee audio tours are available.

The Alamo is wheelchair accessible and also has wheelchairs available on a first-come, first-served, basis.

SeaWorld, San Antonio

The SeaWorld located in San Antonio covers 250 acres, which makes it the largest of all three SeaWorlds. The park features more than twenty-four shows, most of them starring dolphins, Shamu the Killer Whale, and captivating variety of other sea creatures. SeaWorld's five rides--The Great White, Steel Eel, Journey to Atlantis, Rio Loco, and Shamu Express--require a person using a wheelchair to transfer from the wheelchair.

In nine extraordinary exhibits you can come face-to-face with the lovable dolphins at the Dolphin Cove, feed the seals and sea lions at Rocky Point Preserve, gaze upon the incredible yet startling sharks at the Sharks/Coral Reef, meet fascinating animals at the Animal Connections Conservation Center, hang out with more than 100 penguins at the Penguin Encounter, come eye-to-eye with reptiles in Alligator Alley, and don't forget to visit with long-legged, pink friends at Flamingo Cove!

Choose from several tours to experience what goes on behind-the scenes at SeaWorld. Most rides are accessible, but take advantage of the Ride Accessibility Program and meet with a Guest Services team member, who will ask you a series of questions and provide you with a list of rides and attractions that will best meet your needs! Manual and electric wheelchairs are available for rental.

Six Flags Over Texas, Arlington

You'll find more than 50 rides awaiting you at Six Flags Over Texas, with something for everyone to enjoy--from the thrill rides for the adventurous types, to the family rides where the whole family can ride together and the kid's rides for the little pleasure seekers. The huge number of exhilarating rides isn't the only thing the park has to offer. Come meet The Justice League and get your picture taken with the Looney Tunes Pals!

Many of the rides are wheelchair accessible, but be sure to check out the Guide to Rides & Attractions to see which rides will work best for your capabilities.

Texas State Aquarium, Corpus Christi

At the designated, official Texas State Aquarium, you'll find a profusion of entertaining and educational exhibits to explore. The aquarium also has super-amusing shows such as the Dolphin Show, Diver in the Water, You "Otter" Know This, Turtle Tales, and more. Check the presentation times to make sure you don't miss the show you want to see.

Indoor exhibits include the Amazon, which takes you into the lush Amazon forest exhibit where you'll encounter exotic species and become educated on the natural preserves the forest has to offer. The 400,000-gallon saltwater Dolphin Bay exhibit features two male dolphins, Shadow and Kai. Watch the two from above or below the surface in the underwater viewing room. The Floating Phantoms exhibit lets you view stinging creatures from a safe distance. The creatures include Pacific sea nettles, moon jellies, purple stripe jellies, and Atlantic sea nettles. The Flower Gardens are literally a 200-mile-long coral reef in the Gulf of Mexico, conveniently located in the aquarium's backyard. Watch green moray eels, porcupine fish, French angelfish, cow nose stingrays, and barracudas! Learn how oil and gas companies destroy underwater habitats when they dismantle their platforms at the Islands of Steel exhibit, which is the largest indoor exhibit at the museum. The Living Shores exhibit has several touch pools, six aquariums, and three interactive computer kiosks to help educate the public about different habitats.

Outdoor exhibits include Eagle Pass, home to America's symbolic bird. Hawn Flight Theater features phenomenally trained birds in entertaining presentations. The marine-themed HEB Splash Park has water spray jets, water cannons, and more! Owen's Paleo Park is a fossil dig site where guests can find fossilized remains of animals. Otter Creek houses the North America river otters, which are native to Texas. Stingray Lagoon allows visitors to touch and feed stingrays! Swamp Tales highlights the American alligator and freshwater turtles. Last but not least, Tortuga Cay is full of sea turtles that you can observe from above and below the surface too!

The aquarium is wheelchair accessible with ramps and elevators. There are also wheelchairs available for rent and handicap accessible parking for your mobility van.

Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas

The Dallas Museum of Art was founded in 1903 and has a mind-blowing collection of more than 22,000 works of art from all over the world. If you'd like to see the exhibits currently featured before you plan your visit, you can do so on the museum's website. Permanent collections include African Art, which includes Clark and Frances Stillman Collection of Congo Sculpture and the collection of Gustave and Franyo Schindler. The American and European Painting & Sculpture collections include many paintings, and sculptures spanning three centuries. The Ancient American Art collection spans 3,000 years and represents 12 countries. The Ancient Mediterranean Art exhibit contains works that date back all the way to 3000 B.C. The Asian Art collection represents the Hindu, Buddhist, and Islamic religions, and also art from the Mughal Empire. German artists such as Gerhard Richter, Sigmar Polke, and Anselm Kiefer's work can be found in the Contemporary Art collection. The Decorative Arts and Designs collection houses more than 6,000 works of art from American and European artists featuring an array of media. The Pacific Islands Art collection highlights artwork from the Mentawai Islands, Sumatra, Borneo, Sulawesi, Sumba, Flores, and the Southeast Moluccas.

All the public galleries are wheelchair accessible, as well as the restrooms. Wheelchairs are available on a first-come, first-served, basis.

The Wortham Theater Center, Houston

The Wortham Theater was one of the first of its kind, built in the 1980s. The facility is 437,500 square feet, and cost nearly $66 million to build. The building is home to the Houston Ballet and Houston Grand Opera. The masterful architecture is truly breathtaking, a work of art in itself. The facility consists of two theaters, the Alice and George Brown Theater, and the Lillie and Roy Cullen Theater.Research the shows featured during your visit, so you can purchase tickets in advance. Performances by the Society for the Performing Arts and Da Camera of Houston can also be seen in this marvelous theater.

Wheelchair accessible seats are available. You must request the accessible seats when ordering tickets.

The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, Houston

These events were developed as a charity to benefit livestock and farm products, and to promote research and education within the livestock industry.

Spend time enjoying concerts, rodeos, horse shows, and livestock shows. The rodeo includes tie-down roping, bareback riding, saddle bronc riding, steer wrestling, barrel racing, bull riding, chuck wagon races, the Calf Scramble, and Mutton Bustin'. At the livestock shows you'll be introduced to species from rabbits to steer. The rodeo boasts one of the best horse shows in the world, where you can see top-notch horses compete in Ranch Rodeo events and breed shows.

You must specify that you would like a wheelchair accessible ticket. There is a specially designated wheelchair area. Because there are no seats available in the wheelchair section, your friends/family cannot sit in the wheelchair area.

You'd expect a state as big as Texas to have lots of terrific wheelchair accessible attractions to fill those wide-open spaces--and it does! Their state motto is "Friendship," and you'll learn why when you find yourself deep in the heart of Texas.