Whitewater Canal State Historic Site to Close Permanently at End of Summer

The future of the site had been in question for the past few years.

Photo via the Indiana State Museum and Historical Sites.

(Metamora, Ind.) - The Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites has made the difficult decision to close the Whitewater Canal State Historic Site.

The future of the site has been in question over the past few years. 

In 2022, the Ben Franklin III Canal Boat was removed from the Whitewater Canal in Metamora for its five-year inspection. During the transportation to the administration parking lot, the front end of the boat cracked and broke off. 

The canal boat has been in operation since 1989, giving visitors to Metamora a feel for canal life. However, the boat has been out of operations since the end of the 2019 season.

Following the incident, Cathy Ferree, president and CEO of the Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites, identified four components for a major capital investment project to revive and continue the legacy of the Whitewater Canal Historic Site. The proposed plan was estimated to cost nearly $7 million dollars. 

In a statement on Thursday, the Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites said, "after exhausting all avenues to raise the funds to make essential repairs, it is no longer economically or environmentally feasible to continue to operate and manage the site."

The intention is for the site to remain open through the 2025 summer season.

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