Churchill War Rooms
Churchill War Rooms
Visit Churchill War Rooms to discover the original Cabinet War Rooms, the wartime bunker that sheltered Churchill and his government during the Blitz. Explore the historic rooms to experience the secret history that lives on underground. Discover the stories of those who worked underground as London was being bombed above them, and then find out more about the life and legacy of Winston Churchill in the interactive Churchill Museum.
The section of the War Rooms open to the public is only a portion of a much larger facility. They originally covered three acres (1.2 hectares) and housed a staff of up to 528 people, with facilities including a canteen, hospital, shooting range and dormitories.
The centrepiece of the War Rooms is the Cabinet Room itself, where Churchill's War Cabinet met. The Map Room is located nearby, from where the course of the war was directed. It is still in much the same condition as when it was abandoned, with the original maps still on the walls and telephones lining the desks. Churchill slept in a small bedroom nearby. There was a telephone room down the corridor that provided a direct line to the White House, via a special scrambler in an annexe basement of Selfridges department store.
Groups and Schools
Discover a unique historic site and an iconic Prime Minister, learn about leadership and decision-making and how lives in Britain were affected by the Second World War.
UK schools, FE colleges and youth groups can book a self-guided site visit or a site visit with a Learning Session.
Learning Sessions use original artefacts, documents, photographs, posters and film from our collections.
Sessions are delivered in the dedicated facilities provided in the Clore Learning Centre and around the site.
All schools and groups must book in advance and pay on arrival.
Allow at least 45 minutes to explore the Cabinet War Rooms and a further 45 minutes to view the Churchill Museum.
