The Meru Museum is the most useful hour you can spend in the town. It is small but well curated, covering the natural history of the central highlands, the cultural traditions of the Meru people, and the colonial-era history of the district. The ethnographic collection — beadwork, weapons, household objects, and a reconstructed Meru hut in the grounds — is particularly good.
The museum also keeps a small live collection of snakes and tortoises in the back garden, useful preparation for anyone heading on to Meru National Park to the east. Run by the National Museums of Kenya; modest entry fee for non-residents.