Start from 20 curated places around Metamora, IN, then choose the recommendations that fit your guests.
Restaurants & cafés
Blue Umbrella Bistro
A breakfast-all-day spot tucked across from the Grist Mill, the Blue Umbrella serves scratch-made cinnamon rolls, eggs, and sandwiches in a cozy space overlooking the canal. The kitchen keeps things simple and homemade, drawing regulars from Brookville and beyond who make the drive specifically for weekend brunch.
Hav-A-Bite
A longtime Metamora diner on US 52 that has been feeding canal visitors and locals for decades, Hav-A-Bite is the place for hand-breaded tenderloins, chicken and noodles, and honest pie. The small room fills fast on weekends when the village draws day-trippers.
Trails & outdoors
Whitewater Canal Trail
A crushed-limestone path following the restored towpath of the Whitewater Canal through Metamora, passing original lock chambers, the Duck Creek Aqueduct, and canal-era stonework. The main Metamora section runs about 2.5 miles between the Grist Mill and the aqueduct, with longer extensions toward Laurel and Brookville for those wanting more mileage.
Glidewell Trail
A 3.3-mile loop on a peninsula jutting into Brookville Lake, the Glidewell Trail winds through hardwood forest past a 2,000-year-old Native American burial mound before opening onto wide lake views. It's the most popular trail in the Brookville Lake Recreation Area and consistently well-maintained.
Things to do
Whitewater Valley Railroad
A volunteer-operated heritage railroad running vintage steam and diesel equipment on an 18-mile route between Connersville and Metamora along the Whitewater River valley. The round trip takes roughly three hours including a two-hour layover in Metamora, giving passengers time to explore the canal village before the return run.
Metamora Opry Barn
A repurposed tomato cannery on the west edge of the village that serves as Metamora's primary live performance space, run by the nonprofit Metamora Performing Arts organization. Bluegrass Family Night on the third Saturday of each month is the anchor event, with regional musicians playing in an intimate barn setting from March through November.
Landmarks & sights
Whitewater Canal State Historic Site
The centerpiece of Metamora's canal heritage, this state-managed site encompasses the working Grist Mill at Lock 24, where a reconstructed water wheel still powers millstones to grind corn into meal. The complex preserves a remarkable stretch of the 1836–1847 Whitewater Canal, including original brick lock chambers and towpath.
Duck Creek Aqueduct
The only surviving covered wooden aqueduct in the United States, this 1846 engineering feat carries the Whitewater Canal channel sixteen feet above Duck Creek inside a covered timber trough. Restored in 2005, it remains structurally sound and serves as the launch point for horse-drawn canal boat tours.