In 1938 the Cabinet approved a plan for a basement in the 'New Public Offices' in Whitehall to be used as a Central War Rooms. The Central War Room opened on 27 August 1939, one week before war began.
The Central War Rooms provided the secret underground headquarters for the core of the British government throughout the Second World War. The War Cabinet and Chiefs of Staff would meet regularly here over the course of the next five years.
Winston Churchill came to the Cabinet War Room soon after he became Prime Minister on 10 May 1940. On visiting the Cabinet War Room he declared, ‘This is the room from which I’ll direct the war’.
The Map Room was the informational hub of the site. Everything was left exactly where it was when the lights were finally switched off on 16 August 1945 - including sugar cubes found in an envelope left by Wing Commander John Heagarty (pictured here).
On 16 August 1945, following the surrender of the Japanese Forces, the doors to the Cabinet War Rooms were locked. Knowledge of the site and access to it remained highly restricted until the late 1970s when IWM began the task of preserving the site.
In 1984 the main war rooms opened to the public. In 2003 further work opened the Courtyard Rooms, the areas where staff would eat, sleep and work. In 2005 we added the Churchill Museum, the only major museum in the world dedicated to Sir Winston Churchill
Guy Gibson (centre) was posted on 21 March 1943 to command the newly-formed No. 617 Squadron RAF at Scampton, Lincolnshire
617 Squadron practise dropping the 'Upkeep' weapon at Reculver bombing range. Dr Barnes Wallis is on the extreme left of the group.
Wing Commander Guy Gibson (in door of aircraft) and his crew board their Avro Lancaster bomber for No. 617 Squadron's raid on the Ruhr Dams, 16 May 1943.
Aerial reconnaissance (vertical) photograph showing the breach in the Mohne Dam caused by No 617 Squadron, Royal Air Force's raid on 16 May 1943.
Surviving members of 617 Squadron (except those who had gone to bed) stand at the entrance of the Officers' Mess at Scampton, Lincolnshire, after breakfast
IWM London is now closed for our major redevelopment project. We will partially reopen on 29 July 2013.
Open daily
Summer 10am - 6pm
Last admission 5pm
Winter 10am - 4pm
Last admission 3pm
Closed 24, 25 and 26 December
Open daily 10am - 6pm
Last admission 5pm
We are closed 24, 25, and 26 December
Open daily 9.30am - 6pm
Last admission 5pm
Closed 24, 25 and 26 December
Open daily 10am - 5pm
Last admission 4.30pm
Closed 24, 25 and 26 December
Admission is free
For event enquiries please contact us by telephone or email. Alternatively, complete the enquiry form and one of our team will be in touch to discuss your event requirements.
Telephone: +44 (0)20 3116 4469
Fax: +44 (0)20 7930 5850
cwr@sodexo.com
For location filming please contact Nina Smetek, cwrfilming@iwm.org.uk / 020 7416 5497.
