The Shembaganur Museum of Natural History, run by the Jesuit Sacred Heart College about 5 km from the town centre, is one of Tamil Nadu's more overlooked natural history collections. The museum holds specimens of Nilgiri flora and fauna, geological samples, and an extensive orchid collection — the college grounds are notable for cultivating native Palani Hills orchid species.
The collection reflects over a century of Jesuit scientific interest in the region: the college was established in 1895 and the priests were active naturalists. The museum is modest but genuine, and the surrounding college gardens, with their mix of shola species and cultivated plants, are worth walking around. Open on weekday mornings.