ben franklin iii canal boat

it was very relaxing after walking around Metamora for a few hours. It only costs $5. It is a nice little ride. The horses that pull it are beautiful. It was interesting to learn about the history of the canal. Get yourself an ice cream and enjoy the ride.

Once canal travel in Indiana and the United States was a preferred method of transporting goods. When the train came along canal travel slowly died. In Metamora you can still get the feel of canal travel. It's just a short ride but you can have fun with it. Your kids will love the ride plus you will get to see the only remaining aqueduct on a canal in the USA.

Many years ago we spent our weekend camping at various Ohio and adjacent state campgrounds in order to enjoy local history and to educate our son with a first hand experience with Americana.Tis a grand October weekend to be experiencing the vibrant fall foliage of Southern Indiana whilst visiting Brown County, IN for a splendid weekend.As we head east to Ohio, I instruct OnStar to drive through the quaint village of Metamora, IN. Be careful to seek out the “old village” and not the business section of Metamora.Metamora has had it ups and downs over the past 40 years, and currently is in an “upswing.”For many years, we have continued to experience the Ben Franklin III Canal Boat, the grist mill, the canal, and a train ride. In our view, families would do well to plan a trip to Metamora to experience first hand history. The Ben Franklin III Canal Boat ride is an important “parenting opportunity.”

We took the short canal boat ride when we visited Metamora with family. it was great fun to be pulled along the original canal by the horses and learn a little Indiana history of the canal boats.

Think of a boat dragged by horses and the history behind it. That's the Metamora Canal boat trip. Kids loved it. and the explanation served as a history lesson. Very good and the staff very kind.

the town of metamora is a diamond in the rough. the lovely town buildings which were thoughtfully preserved to create this town of yesteryear...are filled with tourist trap junk. where's the historic tour? the parking? places to eat? things to do?i wish i had money to invest; with some marketing and TLC this town could be another galena, ILfor pity's sake i nearly boarded the enormous canal boat as a lone passenger; instead i awkwardly hurried past the dejected canal boat captain. wish i'd stopped to talk. i may have learned something about the canal's history.

After Indiana became a state in 1816, they were eager to add infrastructure to the land in order to facilitate economic development. In 1836 the legislature passed a bill called the Indiana Mammoth Internal Improvement Act. A large part of the money was spent on a canal system to provide a better way for farmers to get their goods to market. Construction of the Whitewater Canal began in 1836 and was finished in 1847.Unfortunately, the canal system was a financial disaster since the construction of railroads came close on the heels of the completion of the canals. The canals were expensive to maintain and parts of the canal were washed out by a flood in 1847 just a few months after the entire canal had been completed. The canals were eventually left in disrepair, though some were used as railway beds. The state of Indiana went bankrupt and the visitor's guide states that this was one reason Indiana wrote a new constitution in 1851, so that debt could no longer be incurred by the state.Today a fourteen mile stretch of canal has been restored. The Ben Franklin III is a reconstruction of a canal boat similar to what would have been used in the 1800's. The boat is pulled by large horses on a path above the canal. You can take a ride on a seven mile stretch of the canal. Now I know what an aqueduct is since the canal goes over a unique wooden one.The trip was accompanied by an interesting tour guide who related many of the facts about the boat and canal system. Needless to say, I was fascinated by the history of the canal. I believe my children (10 and 13) also enjoyed the ride. I had not been enthusiastic about the trip to Metamora, but I was glad that we did it. I hope others enjoy it also.