London still bears the scars from the Second World War. For about eight months from 1940-41, the city was subject to a brutal bombing campaign.
Thousands of bombs hit the capital, killing almost 30,000 people, and demolishing huge chunks of the city. Since then, the so-called ‘Blitz Spirit’ has become a symbol of British resilience.
But London’s role in the war wasn’t just about survival. It was from here that Churchill directed the Allied strategy, De Gaulle broadcast rallying cries to the French people, and the Royal Air Force orchestrated its defence of British skies.
For anyone interested in this pivotal chapter of history, London offers an extraordinary collection of museums, memorials, and experiences that bring the wartime years vividly to life. Here’s my complete guide to the best of them.
This blog is part of London’s Museum Guide – a comprehensive guide of 240+ museums across London.
The Major World War Two Museums in London
London is home to some of the world’s finest museums dedicated to the Second World War. These are the essential stops for anyone wanting to understand the conflict and its impact on Britain.
Churchill War Rooms
Westminster | Ticketed | Nearest Tube: Westminster
If you visit one World War Two museum in London, in my opinion it should be this one.
Hidden beneath the streets of Westminster, the Churchill War Rooms are the secret underground headquarters where Winston Churchill and his War Cabinet directed Britain’s strategy throughout the Second World War. It’s by far the most evocative place I’ve visited to imagine what life was like during the War, simply because when the war ended, staff upped and left, and many rooms still remain exactly as they were then.
The Map Room is the highlight, where military strategists tracked troop movements across the globe. It still has its original charts pinned to the walls. You can also see where Churchill made some of his most famous broadcasts.
Alongside the original bunker is the Churchill Museum, a highly interactive museum tracing his life and career.
The War Rooms are quite pricey – £33, as of January 2026 – and this has put many people I know, even ardent history enthusiasts, off from visiting. But if you’re passionate about wartime history, it’s worth the entry fee, and is truly one of London’s historic highlights.
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Imperial War Museum (IWM London)
Lambeth | Free entry | Nearest Tube: Lambeth North
The Imperial War Museum London is genuinely world-class. It’s one of the museums I value most in London, because of the sensitive way it covers conflicts from all angles, unflinchingly recording the brutality and horrors of war.
Its remit is much broader than the Second World War, exploring all modern conflict, but there are two extensive galleries covering the conflict.
The first is the Second World War gallery, covering two entire floors, and providing an excellent overview of a conflict that affected millions over the world.
The Holocaust Galleries are especially worth mentioning – among London’s most affecting museum experiences. The galleries trace the genocide through personal stories, photographs, letters and possessions. They’ll stay with you long after you leave.
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HMS Belfast
Southwark | Ticketed | Nearest Tube: London Bridge
Walk just along from Tower Bridge, and you’ll find yourself face to face with a giant, World War Two-era warship.
HMS Belfast was built just before the Second World War broke out, and played an important role in the latter stages of the war – including taking part in the D-Day landings. It’s one of only a few surviving ships to have done so.
It’s now a permanent museum, immersive and hands-on: you can explore nine decks to discover what life was like on board, from the engine rooms to the bridge where the captain directed operations.
There are plenty of interactive elements – which means that HMS Belfast is one of the best history museums for kids in London. It’s also packed with detailed information about life on board during wartime, making it worthwhile for history enthusiasts.
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Museum of London Docklands
Canary Wharf | Free | Nearest Tube: Canary Wharf
The East London branch of the Museum of London tells the story of London’s docks, and how the river has shaped the city.
For people interested in learning about World War Two, it’s well worth a visit – it’s home to the Docklands at War exhibition, which is among the best I’ve visited to cover the Blitz.
East London bore some of the worst bombing, and the docklands were a major target. But in spite of this, the docks kept running, playing a vital role in the war. The exhibition captures what this meant for the people who lived and worked in the area.
One of the things that stuck with me most were the paintings by William Ware, who painted scenes of the Blitz from viewpoints across London, as he watched it unfold. They capture the horror and chaos of those nights in ways that photographs can’t.
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RAF Museum London
Colindale (North London) | Free entry | Nearest Tube: Colindale
The RAF Museum is a huge, interactive, free museum in North London – a must-visit for anyone interested in air warfare.
It tells the story of the Royal Airforce across nine hangars, with lots of space dedicated to the Battle of Britain. Throughout are plenty of interactive displays, aircraft including bombers, as well as flight simulators and immersive experiences.
The RAF Museum is the biggest museum about the Battle of Britain, and it’s an excellent choice for families. But for history enthusiasts looking to truly learn about the Battle of Britain and how it was thought, I’d recommend visiting one of the sites in the next section – London’s Battle of Britain sites.
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London’s Battle of Britain sites
Fought over London’s skies in the summer and autumn of 1940, the Battle of Britain was directed from bunkers and command centres across the capital.
Several of these sites are now open to visitors, offering a chance to stand where the air war was coordinated and where the people who protected London worked.
Bentley Priory Museum
Stanmore (North London) | Ticketed | Nearest Tube: Stanmore
A historic stately home in Outer London, Bentley Priory feels at first glance like a surprising location to learn about the hard-thought air war that took place above the capital.
But during the War, this handsome Georgian mansion served as the RAF Fighter Command’s headquarters throughout the war. It was here that Air Chief Marshal Hugh Dowding coordinated Britain’s air defence during the Battle of Britain, making it one of the most important sites in London during the war.
In 2013, it opened as a museum to learn about the story of the Battle of Britain, the people who fought it, and how it was won.
The building itself is beautiful, and the combination of military history and architecture makes for an unusual and rewarding visit.
Battle of Britain Bunker
Uxbridge (West London) | Ticketed | Nearest Tube: Uxbridge
While the big picture decisions were made at Bentley Priory, it was from this underground bunker at RAF Uxbridge that the Battle of Britain was actually directed. From the Operations Room, controllers tracked incoming German raids and scrambled RAF squadrons in response.
In fact, it was after visiting RAF Uxbridge that Winston Churchill famously said “Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.”
The site is now home to a modern exhibition centre, with detailed accounts of people who worked here and its contribution to the Battle of Britain.
But the highlight is the chance to visit the underground bunker itself as part of a tour, where they’ve installed a new ‘soundscape’ to recreate what it would have been like. You’ll also be given a 45 minute talk by an expert, within the Operations Room itself.
An exceptional experience to discover one of the most important sites during the Battle of Britain.
Biggin Hill Memorial Museum
Bromley (South London) | Ticketed
Biggin Hill is an airfield on the edge of London, which was arguably the most important during the Battle of Britain.
Because of its location just below the Capital, it was perfectly positioned to intercept German bombers heading for the centre. For this reason, it was described as Winston Churchill’s ‘strongest link’.
This also made it a prime target: The airfield was bombed repeatedly, which meant pilots often had to take off from cratered runways, and ground crew often kept working under enemy fire to keep the station operational.
The museum tells the story of Biggin Hill and the people who served there, including pilots, ground crew, and the local community who supported them as they fought to keep London safe. There’s also a memorial chapel dedicated to those who died.
Smaller and specialist museums about World War Two
World War Two affected every community across London, and in many of the city’s museums you’ll gain new perspectives on the conflict.
These four museums offer something slightly different – specialist collections worth seeking out to learn about different aspects of the War:
- Sikorski Museum: A small museum dedicated to Polish history. It covers Poland’s crucial contribution to the Allied war effort, including the role of Polish pilots in the Battle of Britain. Small but packed with history. Visit website.
- Wiener Holocaust Library: The world’s oldest Holocaust archive, founded in 1933 by Dr Alfred Wiener who started collecting evidence of Nazi persecution from the moment Hitler came to power. It’s a research library rather than a traditional museum, but hosts regular exhibitions and is open to the public. Visit website.
- RAF Hornchurch: Alongside Biggin Hill, Hornchurch was one of the key airfields defending London. The airfield itself is now a country park – but this small volunteer-run museum nearby tells the story of the airfield and the pilots who flew from it. Visit website.
- Chislehurst Caves: This 22-mile network of man-made tunnels – originally dug for chalk and flint – became one of the largest air raid shelters during the Blitz. At its peak, over 15,000 people sheltered here each night. Lamp-lit guided tours explore the caves’ geology and history, including their wartime use. Visit website.
An Essential Day Trip: Bletchley Park
No exploration of Britain’s World War Two history is complete without a visit to Bletchley Park – and it’s an easy day trip from London.
This unassuming country house in Buckinghamshire was the top-secret home of the Government Code and Cypher School. Here, a team of codebreakers – 75% of them women, and including the mathematician Alan Turing – worked to decipher German military communications, which were protected by encryption the Germans believed unbreakable.
But break it they did. First the Enigma cipher, then the even more complex Lorenz code. The intelligence this produced, codenamed Ultra, gave the Allies a decisive advantage – allowing them to anticipate German operations across every theatre of the war. Historians estimate the work done at Bletchley shortened the war by two to four years and saved countless lives.
Bletchley’s legacy extends beyond the war. Colossus, the machine developed to crack the Lorenz cipher, is credited as the world’s first programmable electronic computer – making this site a birthplace of the digital age.
For history enthusiasts, it’s unmissable. To get there, take a direct train from London Euston to Bletchley – around 35 minutes. The entrance to Bletchley Park is a short walk from the station.
Blitz Walking Tours and Experiences
One of the best ways to learn about World War Two in London is to explore its streets, with an expert guide pointing out details you’d otherwise miss.
There are two main walking tour providers I’d recommend to learn about Britain’s wartime history:
- London Walks: The Blitz Walk. London Walks is one of London’s longest-running and best walking tour companies. Every Thursday afternoon they do a Blitz walk, starting from St Pauls Cathedral. Visit website.
- Blitzwalkers: Walking tours dedicated to the Second World War, led by Londoner and amateur historian Steve Hunnisett. He gives tours of various neighbourhoods across London such as Greenwich, Chelsea and the City. Recently, he’s only been offering private tours – so check his website.
Living Heritage: Wartime Sites Across the City
London’s wartime history isn’t confined to museums. Across the city, you’ll find churches, buildings, and public spaces that bear witness to the war – some scarred by bombing, others sites of pivotal moments in history.
St Dunstan in the East
One of London’s most beautiful and unusual spaces. This Christopher Wren church was gutted by fire during the Blitz, and rather than rebuild, the city transformed the ruins into a public garden.
Trees and climbing plants now grow through the empty Gothic windows, creating an unexpectedly peaceful spot in the heart of the financial district, and a visible reminder of the damage caused by the Blitz.
St Paul’s Cathedral
Few images evoke ‘Blitz Spirit’ more than the dome of St Pauls, still standing amid wreckage and flames. It became the defining image of London’s survival. The cathedral’s preservation wasn’t luck – it was the result of the St Paul’s Watch, a volunteer fire brigade that patrolled the roofs every night, extinguishing incendiary bombs before they could take hold. On the night of 29 December 1940, when much of the City burned around it, they saved the building.
4 Carlton Gardens – Free French Headquarters
After France fell in June 1940, General Charles de Gaulle escaped to London and established the Free French Forces in exile. This elegant townhouse near St James’s Park became their headquarters, and it was from here that de Gaulle broadcast his famous appeal to the French people to continue the fight. A statue of de Gaulle now stands outside, and a plaque marks the building’s significance. It’s a reminder that wartime London was home to governments-in-exile from across occupied Europe.
Stairway to Heaven Memorial – Bethnal Green
One of London’s most poignant and least-known wartime sites.
On 3 March 1943, an air raid alarm in East London led to a rush of people seeking shelter in Bethnal Green Tube Station. In the crush that followed, 173 people – mostly women and children – died.
The Bethnal Green Tube Disaster was the worst British civilian disaster of the war – even though not even a single bomb landed on that part of London that evening.
The tragedy was covered up at the time. In 2017, a monument to the disaster was finally erected – the Stairway To Heaven memorial, in a small park by the tube station.
London’s World War Two museums and experience offer an excellent and poignant opportunity to connect with history in the places they actually happened.
Eighty years on, with the last survivors of the war now in their final years, places like these that tell the stories of courage, loss, resilience and innovation become ever more important.
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