The Churchill Museum

Uncover the man behind the image at the Churchill Museum, the only major museum in the world dedicated to the life and legacy of Sir Winston Churchill. Using cutting-edge technology and multimedia displays, Churchill’s story is brought to life, starting at the high point of his career – his appointment as Prime Minister on 10 May 1940.

Hear extracts from Churchill’s rousing wartime speeches as you stand on the squares to activate Churchill’s voice delivering now-familiar phrases such as ‘Blood, toil, tears and sweat’ and ‘We shall fight them on the beaches’. Nearby stands the original No. 10 door that Churchill walked through after becoming Prime Minister.

A great place to discover more about Churchill’s life is the 15-metre-long interactive Lifeline at the centre of the museum, which covers every year of Churchill’s life and allows you to open documents, photos and film clips as well as find hidden animations.

Surrounding the Lifeline, the displays delve even deeper into Churchill’s life story, focussing in on objects relating to all periods of Churchill’s life from his early childhood to his State Funeral. You can read some of the hundreds of devoted letters Churchill exchanged with his wife Clementine, often using the pet names they gave each other, 'Kat' and 'Pug'. See one of Churchill’s earliest paintings, Plug Street, depicting his billet on the Western Front in 1916; painting was a therapeutic hobby for Churchill, and one he turned to again after his defeat in the 1945 General Election.

You can also explore an interactive model of Churchill’s beloved country home, Chartwell, in Kent, and find out about the circle of friends and supporters he entertained there during his time away from the political limelight in the 1930s. As history knows, Churchill returned to government in September 1939, going on to lead his country through the Second World War with irrefutable authority - his time as war leader is explored through a number of historical objects as well as the iconic personal items that became part of his public image.