Kawartha Lakes is home to a vibrant arts, culture and heritage community. We offer a wide variety of heritage buildings, historic sites, museums, theatres and galleries. Our villages are home to many talented artists, musicians and performers.
Discover the best of Kawartha Lakes on the Arts & Heritage Trail, guiding you throughout the many beautiful regions and communities to meet makers, artists, and visit our cultural attractions.
Whether you're visiting for a day or staying for a week, there are many experiences waiting to be explored.
The Arts & Heritage Trail
Discover the rich heritage and diverse artistic talent in Kawartha Lakes on the Arts and Heritage Trail.
Come and explore lesser-known places and local legends, visit our galleries, artisan studios and craft shops, or take in a concert or festival.
With so many interesting places to visit in Kawartha Lakes, it can sometimes be difficult to know where to begin. The Arts & Heritage Trail guides you and sets the stage for an experience you will never forget.
How to use the Driving Trail Optimized Route Generator:
Choose a pre-determined driving route, select your starting location, and let the generator optimize your route.
Discover Arts, Heritage and Culture in Kawartha Lakes
The Kawartha Lakes Stories Map is a fascinating window into the intangible cultural heritage of the Kawartha Lakes. Intangible culture includes the folklore, the beliefs, traditions and the customs that shape our lives, that influence the way that we see the world, the objects that we craft and the cities that we build. It is best understood through our stories - our interpretations of experiences in the past and in the present.
The Stories Map positions each story at the location in which it took place on the map and includes a time-slider that also places it at the point in history at which it occurred. The interactive map allows you to add your own story and contribute to the multi-faceted and evolving cultural identity of our communities.
The Legends & Lore Walking Tours for our historical downtowns present both visitors and residents with the opportunity to walk through the past in our unique communities and experience the area's heritage first hand.
We have walking tours of Lindsay, Omemee, and Fenelon Falls available through the Arts & Heritage Trail Interactive Map.
These are self-guided walking tours with signage marking the location of each story, an audio version of the tour, and printed brochures available at our visitor information locations and by request at tourism@kawarthalakes.ca.
The Kawartha Art Gallery, and the Station Gallery in Fenelon Falls are longstanding galleries in Kawartha Lakes that feature the works of many talented local artists and exhibits that reflect our local cultural identity.
Be sure to catch one of our many art festivals, music or theatre performances happening throughout the region, including the Kawartha Arts Festival, The Bobcaygeon Music Council Concert Series, Academy Theatre in Lindsay, the Globus Theatre - Lakeview Arts Barn in Bobcaygeon, and The Grove Theatre in Fenelon Falls.
For additional information about Festivals and Events throughout Kawartha Lakes click here.
Discover the best of the Arts & Heritage Trail and the Kawarthas Northumberland Butter Tart Tour. Our scenic drives throughout Kawartha Lakes create an experience to remember.
Spend less time planning and more time exploring by choosing one of our favourite pre-determined drives as a starting point to experiencing this beautiful region.
Touring the rural routes throughout our region is a great way to get off the highway and see what makes us so special. Be sure to stop into our many country stores, farm stands and cafes – meet the locals and share your stories.
Virtual Tours of our Cultural Attractions
Take a virtual stroll through some of the cultural and heritage attractions in Kawartha Lakes by clicking below to view interactive 360 tours:
Directory Listings of our Cultural Attractions:
*To view the accessible version of the Arts & Heritage Trail and Scenic Drives Guidebook click here.
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