Paid entry. As of September 2025, £33 for adults, £16.50 for children (u5s free)
Seven days a week
What it is
Museum tags: History; Military history; World War Two; Interactive and immersive; Historic building; Biographical museum
The secret underground headquarters where Winston Churchill and his ministers planned Britain’s strategy in the Second World War. Now open to visitors, with many rooms – including the iconic ‘Map Room’, where many of the key decisions in the war were made – left as they were on the day the war ended. Other highlights include the War Cabinet Room, and the room where Churchill spoke in secret to the US President using cutting-edge technology, disguised as a toilet. As well as the war rooms, there are exhibitions about what life was like for the people working there, and a large museum about Winston Churchill himself.
Tickets are expensive, but if you’re a history buff like me, it’s worth it. The audioguide is informative and engaging, the whole route is fascinating, and there are several interactive exhibits. I think it would be suitable for older kids.
The site also includes a museum about Winston Churchill and his life. It’s well presented and quite interactive. But for a museum of this size — and one run by the Imperial War Museum, who are usually excellent at this sort of thing — I was disappointed it didn’t explore the complex, darker aspects of Churchill’s legacy in more depth.
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