Haliburton

Haliburton brings together outdoor art, woodland scenery and glimpses into the region’s history. In the village, Head Lake Park sits on the shores of Head Lake and offers a scenic setting for a family picnic. Near the village, Glebe Park is home to the Haliburton Sculpture Forest, a unique collection of sculptures by Canadian and international artists. The area is also home to historic buildings at the Haliburton Highlands Museum. These different places give you clear options for your trip: time by the lake, art and trails in the forest, or stories from the area’s past.

Sculptures along the trails

The Sculpture Forest displays its collection outdoors. The works are by artists from Canada and other countries, giving this local attraction artistic perspectives from a range of backgrounds. The trails in the Sculpture Forest are suitable for walking and cycling in spring, summer and fall. If you enjoy combining art with exercise, you can plan your visit as a walk or bike ride rather than treating the sculptures as a standalone activity.

In July and August, the Haliburton Sculpture Forest offers free guided tours on Tuesdays at 10:00 a.m. This regular tour time may be useful when planning your day if you’d like to explore the collection with a guide. If you visit without joining a tour, the trails offer another way to experience the outdoor sculptures. The two options offer different experiences: a guided tour at a set time, or the trails as part of a walk or bike ride.

Glebe Park: forest, gentle hills and activities

Glebe Park covers 175 acres of woodland with gently rolling terrain. This setting differs from the lakeshore in the village: here, the landscape is shaped by forest and gentle changes in elevation. The park has a trail network for walking, mountain biking, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. Alongside the Sculpture Forest trails, there are other ways to get active. Which ones you choose depends on whether you’d rather walk, ride a mountain bike, or plan a cross-country skiing or snowshoeing outing.

History at the Haliburton Highlands Museum

The Haliburton Highlands Museum comprises several 19th-century buildings that were moved there from different places in the surrounding area. Its historic farm buildings illustrate what life may have been like for the first generation of European settlers in the Haliburton area. The cautious wording matters: the buildings give an impression of life at the time, rather than a comprehensive account of every aspect of daily life.

The museum’s historic buildings in Glebe Park near Haliburton include Reid House, built in 1882. This specific construction date adds to the broader historical context of the 19th-century buildings. If you’re interested in history, you can consider both the collection of historic farm buildings and an individual building with a known year of construction.

Which location suits your travel interests?

When looking for a vacation rental in Haliburton, the different locations can help you get your bearings: Head Lake Park is in the village, on the lakeshore; the Sculpture Forest and museum are in Glebe Park near the village. Consider whether a family picnic by the lake, art and activity on the trails, or the historic buildings are the main focus of your trip. These interests offer concrete points of reference for considering Haliburton as a destination, without combining the different experiences into a single outing.

Discover more places

More places: Tory Hill, Minden, Oxtongue Lake, Cardiff, Harcourt, Highland Grove and Carnarvon.

For the broader travel overview: Haliburton County.