METAMORA, IN — One of Metamora’s top attractions fell apart this week.
The Ben Franklin III Canal Boat was removed from the Whitewater Canal on Monday for its five-year inspection. The front of the boat cracked and broke off while it was being transported to the administration building parking lot.
The boat, which is made of wood and fiberglass, began operating in 1989 but has been out of operation since the end of the 2019 season. It did not operate in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites will work with its board of directors and the state to come up with a plan for the future of the boat.
The original Ben Franklin Canal Boat began first hit the water in the 1840s.
The Ben Franklin II was used by the State of Indiana beginning in 1980 to give visitors to Metamora a feeling of what canal life was like.
