Churchill War Rooms

About the museum

In the late 1930s, planners feared heavy bombing of London and looked for a protected place where the prime minister, the cabinet and the military staff could work. In June 1938 the basement of the New Public Offices building in Whitehall was chosen for its strong steel frame and large basement. A thick concrete slab was later added above the rooms, but secrecy remained the best protection.

The Cabinet War Rooms became fully operational on 27 August 1939, a week before Britain declared war on Germany. Winston Churchill's War Cabinet met there 115 times, mostly during the Blitz and the later German V-weapon attacks. Ministers, officers, typists and other staff worked, and some slept, underground around the clock until the lights in the Map Room were switched off on 16 August 1945.

Imperial War Museums took over the site and opened the rooms to the public in 1984. The Cabinet War Rooms are kept much as they were left, including the Map Room, the Cabinet Room and Churchill's bedroom. In 2005 the Churchill Museum opened alongside them, using personal items and objects of the time to tell the story of Churchill's life and leadership.

Today the site is one of the five museums of IWM. Visitors follow a route through the original corridors with an audio guide, so the experience combines the preserved rooms with a biographical museum.

Highlights

• The Cabinet Room where the War Cabinet met
• The Map Room, kept as it was in 1945
• Churchill's bedroom in the underground complex
• The Churchill Museum on his life and leadership
• The sugar cubes found in the Map Room in the early 1980s
• Wartime staff quarters and the switchboard room, now the cafe

Permanent exhibitions

• Cabinet War Rooms – The original underground rooms, including the Cabinet Room and Map Room, left as they were at the end of the Second World War.
• Churchill Museum – A biographical museum on Winston Churchill's 90-year life, leadership and legacy, told through personal items and documents.

Founded

1984

Operated by

Imperial War Museums

Visitors per year

approx. 364,583

Admission & discounts

Prices apply from 2 September 2026 to 31 March 2027. IWM members enter free. Blue Badge and Westminster City Guides get free admission when bringing up to six people. Booking in advance is recommended because time slots can sell out.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description

Step-free access to the entrance is via Horse Guards Road by St James's Park, and a lift links street level with the basement (15 steps). The narrowest point of the route is 68 cm, so some visitors may prefer a free IWM manual wheelchair, which can be reserved; staff cannot push wheelchairs. Three gender-neutral accessible toilets are at the start of the route. Bench seating is in the Churchill Museum and folding stools can be borrowed. Induction loops are available at the audio guide desk. The audio guide has a British Sign Language option and audio-described versions, and large-print transcripts are available. Lighting is low in many areas. There is no parking on site; the nearest public Blue Badge bays are 215 to 290 metres away and are not managed by IWM.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Stroller-friendly
• Baby changing facilities

The museum suits all ages, but recommends visiting with children aged 10 and over for the best experience. A free family-friendly multimedia guide is included (recommended from age 7, English only), and volunteers give short talks, sometimes with real objects to handle. Pushchairs can be used throughout, but there is no pushchair parking. A baby changing facility is available.

Getting there & parking

The entrance is on Clive Steps, King Charles Street. Step-free access is via Horse Guards Road by St James's Park.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop
• Coat check: not available
• Lockers: not available

A cafe is in the former switchboard room, with highchairs. There is no cloakroom or locker, and suitcases, wheeled luggage and large rucksacks are not admitted. Small rucksacks should be worn on the front. The nearest suitcase storage is Charing Cross station.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent

Venue hire is offered through IWM's commercial team; private tours can also be booked.

Plan your visit