In the 1970s there was an observatory on the hill Plawangan, which is closer to Merapi, but with eruptions in the 1990s Plawangan was abandoned and the observatory moved to the town itself.
The Babadan (northwest location), Selo (in the saddle between Merbabu and Merapi), and Plawangan monitoring stations have been updated with equipment over the decades since establishment.
The hill to the west of Plawangan is called Turgo and has sacred graves at its peak, which are associated with the early stages of Islam in Java.