Out for a drive with summer guests we recently found ourselves in Kinmount, about half an hour northeast of Bobcaygeon. This quaint little town sits along the banks of the Burnt River. Kinmount has survived extensive fires over the years – in 1890, 1898, 1917 – and the “great fire” of 1942 that saw pretty much everything in town burn with the exception of the train station.

The Kinmount Rail Station was built in 1876 by Sir William MacKenzie from Kirkfield. It was the third major stop on the former Lindsay-Haliburton CNR line, north of Fenelon Falls and Burnt River; 53km from Lindsay and 35km from Haliburton. 

Today the structure is home to the Kinmount Heritage Model Railway and Museum. On the day of our visit John Tierney (pictured on the right below, along with Ron Claridge) showed us around and shared lots of local history. John and Ron are knowledgeable and dedicated volunteers with the Kinmount Model Rail Society.

The working historical display was really fun to see and extremely well done. Model train enthusiasts would love this spot! You can visit over the summer on Saturdays between 9:00am and 3:00pm. You can also check out their Facebook page for updated schedules.

While kicking around Kinmount you can also take in a movie at another of our favourite area spots, Highlands Cinemas. This five-theatre complex (over 500 seats in total) is hidden atop a hill in a forested area. It deceivingly appears to be a two-storey house until you step inside. Here you can enjoy first-run movies and a museum filled with movie projectors, posters and other collectibles that owner Keith Strata has gathered over the years.

A few minutes drive east of Kinmount just off Hwy 503 are the picturesque Furnace Falls. As far as waterfalls go these falls are short but they are robust and set against a wooded backdrop making for a nice photo opportunity. 

The sound of the cascading water alone makes this a worthwhile stop in my humble opinion. A nice way to decompress and finish off your summer drive.