whitewater state historic site

A charming town-evokes the atmosphere of the Twilight Zone episode "Willoughby". The pace is very laid back and the merchants were friendly. The horses do a great job pulling the Ben Franklin, and the men walking with them and the boat conductor very willing to answer any questions. A great place to eat, and browse, is the Smelly Gourmet. The laughing readers in the book shop a fun see (the 2 skeletons). The town, even full of tourists, did not feel Disneyish. We were there Sept 11 so any large crowds may have already been there. A relaxing day during a 7 week excursion thru 4 states.

This family-friendly adventure is a must see and must do. Pay only $5 per adult for a gentle canal ride through the world's only operating aqueduct. (Free for folks 90 and older) Interpreters will share history while taking a short journey through the canal. The boat-The Ben Franklin, can be easily accessed by those using strollers, wheelchairs and walkers. Staff are courteous and knowledgeable.While waiting to go for your ride, be sure to grab a quick ice cream cone at the great shop beside the dock. (Can't miss the ice cream shop-it is full of cookie jars) The ice cream shop's prices are very reasonable-treat yourself to a homemade waffle cone for less than 2.50!!! (Waffle cones have a delicious surprise in the bottom)Overall, a great place to visit and an awesome activity for the family. Open seasonally.

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.”Must visits include the grist mill, the Canal, and a train ride.Whitewater historic site is nearby, and well worth a visit. The Whitewater historic site is a special piece of Americana that is certain to please families and tourists.

We came to Metamora on a recommendation from a coworker. It was what I expected, but the Whitewater Canal was so much more. We stopped along the Hwy 52 picnic areas. They have shelters & information about the canal on plaques. We then headed into Metamora. This is a scenic little town on the canal, which is the big draw. They have train rides for $5, though they don't have a very long track. Maybe 2 miles at most. They have a barge ride for $5. The 2 draft horses take you down the canal. Again, not very far since the locks stop any traffic from the canal. Maybe 1 or 1 1/2 miles. There's a grist mill which is staffed & ready to give you a history of the canal. There's an aqueduct which is covered (the only one of its kind). We drove down to the parking area to begin our hike along the canal. It's 2.7 miles, but we didn't go the whole way. There's supposed to be a side trail to look at the Whitewater River, but there was a cornfield in the way. Either that or we missed it. The trail goes along the canal, but you are sometimes below it. It's a bike trail also. Stroller friendly, but we didn't see many people walking or biking it. The scenery is great! Lots of hills. After we were done, we left the car & walked into town. Not far at all & we were concerned about parking. There is some free parking, but it filled up quick. There's the usual touristy, quaint shops. Lots of empty stores. Lots of public bathrooms! On both ends of town & in between. Clean too! All in all a good day!

We expected more living history. We expected the gristmill to still be powered by water as it was in the old days. Spring Mill State Park still powers their old grist mill by water. We also expected a roller mill, but it's long gone. We expected some place that would give us some type of orientation or something. There was a visitor center, but it wasn't on site and it didn't appear to be open. It wasn't mentioned in any of the literature. It was cool to see the boat being towed by two lovely Belgian draft horses. And the train was nice, though we wish it were a steam train of old. Most of the shops, which don't belong to the state historic site but which surround it, were of the tourist trap variety, or at least appeared so. It's OK if you know what to expect. We just expected more.

This is interesting if you're REALLY into American history, or specifically interested in the history of Indiana. It is a "one and only in the US" sort of thing. I love history and it was cool to see, but I would not have gone out of my way to do so.