Permanent
Churchill War Rooms
What are the Cabinet War Rooms?
During the Second World War the British government set up a secret, underground headquarters in the basement of a purpose-built government building - known today as Churchill War Rooms.
As you explore the labyrinth of corridors and historic rooms you will be walking in the footsteps of Winston Churchill and the many men and women who worked, ate, and even slept here during the tense days and nights of the war.
Tour these rooms left as they were on the day the lights were switched off in 1945, and find yourself completely immersed in the past of this crucial site in world history.
Highlights
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War Cabinet Room
‘This is the room from which I will direct the war’ – Winston Churchill. Stand inches away from where the war cabinet met.
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Transatlantic Communication
Disguised as a private toilet, discover the room where Churchill spoke in secret to the U.S President using cutting-edge technology.
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Churchill Suite
Take a look into the kitchen and bedrooms reserved for Churchill’s family and his personal staff, including Churchill’s cook, military advisor, and bodyguard.
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© IWM 27532
Switchboard Room
Explore the BBC Broadcasting Room and Switchboard Room which connected the Cabinet War Rooms to the outside world.
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Back to 1940
Step back in time and peek inside the bedrooms of some of Churchill's top advisors, restored to exactly how they were.
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IWM SITE CWR 567
Map Room
See the beating heart of the War Rooms where some of the most strategic decisions of the war were planned.