Churchill War Rooms Private Tours
Talks & Tours, Churchill War Rooms
Peer into the War Cabinet Room, where Churchill and his inner circle plotted the war in round-the-clock meetings.
Trace the progress of Allied ships though the tiny pinholes dotted across the maps in the bunker’s informational hub.
Over the course of the war, hundreds of men and women, both civilian and uniformed, spent thousands of vital working - and sleeping - hours in the bunker.
The lights in the Map Room were switched off for the first time in six years on 16 August 1945.
Churchill could always be seen with this red box full of state papers.
The interactive Lifeline exhibit allows visitors to access information from every year of Churchill’s life.
The Queen and Princess Elizabeth talk to a camouflaged sniper during a visit to Airborne Forces. Princess Elizabeth carried out her first public engagement in 1943 aged 16. She accompanied the King and Queen on many of their tours around the UK.
Princess Elizabeth watching parachutists dropping in preparation for the Normandy Landings. On her visit to Airborne Forces in May 1944, Princess Elizabeth met airborne troops who would play a key role in the operation.
Princess Elizabeth (centre) with officers of the ATS Training Centre. Princess Elizabeth joined the ATS in 1945 at the age of 19. Her father was initially against her undertaking national service. However, Elizabeth persuaded him to change his mind.
After joining the ATS, Princess Elizabeth trained as a driver and mechanic with the rank of Second Subaltern. Five months later she was promoted to Junior Commander, which was the equivalent of Captain.
King George VI and Queen Elizabeth with Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret, and Winston Churchill, on the balcony of Buckingham Palace. On VE day, the Royal Family appeared on the balcony at Buckingham Palace to acknowledge the crowds celebrating below.
Pre-booked learning sessions (available 19 September – 21 October and 31 October – 16 December 2011):
Picnic Room
The Picnic Room is only available for groups with classroom session booked.
Please see Visiting Information for more detailed information on accessibility.

From the World Wars to the Cold War, IWM gives teachers and students in UK schools everything they need to explore the course, causes and consequences of conflict from the First World War to today.
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