The region has been inhabited by hunter-gatherer tribals like the Malayarayan and Muthuvan for thousands of years. Tradition states that Colonel Arthur Wellesley, later the Duke of Wellington, was the first British person to pass through Munnar during Tippu Sultan's campain in Travancore, but this is unsubstantiated. The first survey of the terrain was undertaken by Benjamin Swayne Ward in 1816-1817, who followed the Periyar into the Western Ghats and established a camp at the confluence of three rivers, from which the name of Munnar is derived.

It was to be nearly 50 years later that Sir Charles Trevelyan, Governor of Madras, instructed Col. Douglas Hamilton to explore the hill country in the western part of the Madras Presidency, requesting special advice on the feasibility of establishing sanatoria for the British in the South and of developing revenue- earning projects without endangering the environment, as had happened in Ceylon where coffee had destroyed not only the rain forest but also paddy cultivation in the north-central rice bowl of ancient Ceylon. Hamilton climbed throughout the Ghats in Munnar region. 15 years later, John Daniel Munro noted that much of Munnar's land was suitable for coffee plantations. Munro, Henry Turn and his half-brother AW Turner obtained ownership of the Cardamom Hills from the Raja of Travancore and began clearing forest around Devikulam in 1879. Soon many other Europeans began establishing tea plantations in the area throughout the 1880s. Early plantations had few facilities and were mainly huts of straw. Most labourers on the tea estates were Dalits from present-day Tamil Nadu.

Eventually roads were opened to the lowlands and in Bodinayakkanur in western Madras Presidency, planters got provisions from a local headman - Suppan Chetty. He and his son, Alaganan Chetty (later an MLA) would continue providing supplies to the tea estates in the region. By 1894, 26 estates were established in the hills but all were facing losses. In 1897, a separate company, Kannan Devan Hills Corporation (KDHC) was registered to operate the tea estates which was later taken over by the American Direct Tea Trading Company Ltd., who owned 26 estates, most with coffee and some with cinchona, almost all in the area except for a few in the lower areas.

In 1900, a ropeway was built and eventually monorails were installed for easier transport of goods to the plains. In 1901, P. R. Buchanan took over as General Manager and began the most extensive clearing of jungles for plantations. In 1908, construction started on a new railway which opened in 1909. By 1911, around 16,000 acres of the region was under cultivation.

In 1924, a flood swept through Munnar, damaged the road and destroyed the rail track. In its place it was decided to create a ropeway to transport tea. In 1930, this is turn was replaced by a modern road that made transport much easier. By 1952, almost 28,000 acres of land was under cultivation. After Independence, Indian planters took over. In 1964, the KDHC which owned most tea estates was acquired by Tata and Finlay who started the first instant tea factory in the country. In 1971, the Kerala government wanted to reforest all land in the hills not used for plantations. However negotiations that followed resulted in Tata keeping most of the land, leaving it with 57,000 acres.

The former Kunda Valley Railway in Munnar was destroyed by a flood in 1924, but tourism officials are considering reconstructing the railway line to attract tourists.

Mattupetty Dam

It is situated near Munnar in Idukki District, is a storage Concrete Gravity dam built in the mountains of Kerala, India to conserve water for hydroelectricity. It has been a vital source of power yielding along with other such dams, huge revenue to the states. The large amount of perennially available water allows wild animals and birds to flourish. However salinity caused by irrigation and water-logging are of concern to environmentalists.

Munnar is located near the confluence of the mountain streams of Muthirappuzha River, Chanduvarai River and Kundale River. The reservoir is also known to be one of the visiting grounds of elephants in the region.

Carmelagiri Elephant Park

Carmelagiri Elephant Park is a private park for elephant riding through the hilly paths of Munnar forest, a part of Kerala tourism, India. The park is located in Top Station, close to the city of Munnar in Kerala. The visitors get an experience of elephant ride and learn about multiple talents of the park’s elephants like demonstrations of commands, communication and timber pulling, elephant's bathe and can also participate in feeding one of the elephants. The park offers various tours, which range from excursions for 1 hour, a half day or a full day. There are many green hills, lush valleys, misty cloud-covered forests and sprawling tea plantations around the park and the park is open daily.

Lockhart Tea Museum

The Lockhart Tea Museum is located in Munnar, which was originally constructed in 1936. It is situated 9 km (5.6 mi) from Munnar on the Thekkady Road. The museum was opened to the public on 22 January 2014.

The museum is part of the Lockhart Estate, which is one of the earliest tea plantations in High Range (Munnar), established by Baron John Von Rosenberg and his son, Baron George Otto Von Rosenberg in 1879. Initially they planted cinchona then coffee and afterwards tea.

The building, which houses the museum, was constructed in 1936. The Lockhart Tea factory produces about 20 million kilograms of tea annually and is owned by Harrisons Malayalam Limited, one of South India's largest tea cultivators. The factory allows public visits during regular working hours, allowing visitors the opportunity to observe the various stages of tea processing. The museum houses photographs and machinery that was used in earlier days of tea production.

The factory and museum are located on the slopes of Chokarmudy, one of South India's highest peaks, from which the entire valley of Lockhart can be seen.

Kannan Devan Hills Plantation Tea Museum

The KDHP Tea Museum is an industry and history museum situated in Munnar, a town in the Idukki district of Kerala in South India. Tata Tea Museum is its official name, but it's also known as Nalluthanni Estate where it is located, or Kannan Devan Hills Plantation (KDHP) Tea Museum.

The tea estate is owned by Kanan Devan Hills Plantations Company (P) Ltd. (KDHP) – the plantation dates back to the 1880s. The museum opened on 1 April 2005. The tea museum preserves the aspects on the genesis and growth of tea plantations in Kerala's mountain region in the Idukki district on the Western Ghats at the border to the Coimbatore district of Tamil Nadu. Tata Tea opened the museum which houses curiosities, photographs and machineries, depicting a turning point that contributed to Idukki's flourishing tea industry. Set up at the Nallathanni Estate, the museum is a tribute to its pioneers who transformed Munnar into a major tea plantation centre of Kerala, from the rudimentary tea roller from 1905 to a fully automated tea factory. Visitors and tea lovers can see various stages of the tea processing – Crush, tear, curl - and learn about the production of Kerala black tea variants. The power generation plant of the estate dates back to 1920s; a rail engine wheel of the Kundala Valley Railway that shuttled between Munnar and Top Station by 1924. A section of the museum also houses classic bungalow furniture and office equipment of the Colonial area in Kerala. Tea tasting across different varieties of tea is another attraction here. A 2nd-century burial urn was discovered at the Periakanal tea estate; it is also displayed at the museum.

The museum is about 4 kilometres (2.49 mi) from the Munnar town, situated in the Nalluthanni Estate. Aluva is the nearest railway station, Cochin International Airport is about 72 kilometres (44.74 mi) away. Kerala State Road Transport Corporation provides buses from different locations to Munnar town. The museum is open from 9 am to 4 pm (or 5 pm); it is closed on Monday and holidays. Address: Tata Tea Museum, Nalluthanni Estate, Munnar, KL-685 612, Idukki district, Kerala.