The Alishan Museum documents the history of the mountain area and its forest railway — a history that begins with the indigenous Tsou people who have lived in these mountains for centuries, continues through the Japanese-era logging operations that built the railway and stripped most of the original forest, and arrives at the present-day national scenic area.
The exhibitions cover natural history, railway engineering, the ecology of the three climate zones the railway passes through, and the Tsou Aboriginal culture. It is a well-presented museum for its size and gives useful context for understanding what you are walking through in the forest. Free entry; allow about an hour.