Leonora, with its wide main street and many old buildings (some retaining their original uses, like the two hotels, others remaining vacant or put to alternate use) exhibits some of its past character while providing modern facilities and services. Many of the older buildings are constructed of corrugated iron and hessian, as this was a versatile material and lightweight to transport. Similarly, many of the newer buildings are transportable.

A general store, supermarket, butcher, and café provide for local shoppers and carry most requisites for travellers. Two service stations, a motel, two hotels and a caravan park provide accommodation, take-away food and dining facilities.

Townspeople make use of a large grassed oval, eighteen-hole golf course, gun club and racetrack for recreation. Leonora boasts a lovely new recreation centre where all indoor sports are catered for with a state of the art Aquatic centre attached. Annual open events at golf and clay target shooting, as well as race meetings, attract many visitors with the main event being the Golden Gift weekend conducted in early june of each year.

Many of the older buildings are worth a glance:

• The old police station (1903) - corner of Rajah and Gwalia Streets
• Courthouse (1903) - corner of Gwalia and Trump Streets
• Masonic Lodge - opposite Courthouse
• The old fire station (1903) - Gwalia Street opposite Catholic Church
• National & WA Bank - Tower & Trump Streets (now Leonora's Visitor Information Centre & Library)
• Post Office (1903)- Tower & Trump Streets
• A good overall view of Leonora can be obtained from the top of Smoodgers Hill (Tank Hill)
• Shire Office including World war 1 & 2 Honour Rolls
• Anzac War memorial- Tower Street park

Gwalia is a ghost town although still home for some old and new residents. The old store, guesthouse and many other cottages can be viewed first hand. The State Hotel was the first of Western Australia's State Hotels built (in 1903) at a cost of £6000 for building and furnishings (now the 'St Barbara Mines' Mining Office).

The Mine Manager's house(Hoover House) now a B & B accommodation facility, old mine office (now the Museum), original headframe and winder room can be seen surrounded by the more recent mining activity. The Museum, top of the hill, provides fascinating displays of early history and lifestyle in Leonora-Gwalia and the North Eastern Goldfields. The Museum is open daily from 10.00am to 4.00pm.

'Ken' is a small locomotive that was used on the extensive narrow gauge 'woodlines' which were established to collect 30,000 tonnes of mulga timber each year to fuel the mine. 'Ken' can be found near the State Hotel.

When viewing Gwalia, remember that the whole area was covered in miners huts where families lived, kept chickens and grew vegetables. Children played and went to school and swam in Western Australia's second public pool, and sometimes went to Leonora on a tram which operated between the towns. The park near the Railway Station area is an ideal picnic spot and a climb to the top of Mt Leonora could help you imagine yourself in Forrest's shoes over 100 years ago.