Churchill War Rooms

The Churchill War Rooms have been restored to their original state providing visitors with a strong sense of this time in history

Inside the Map Room in the Churchill War Rooms Museum
Inside the Map Room in the Churchill War Rooms Museum cc licensed photo by John Antoni Griffiths

The Churchill War Rooms is a museum located in the original Cabinet War Rooms which were central to the strategic operations of the British Army, the Royal Navy and the Royal Airforce during World War II. In 1984 the rooms were restored to their original state and opened to the public as a museum and subsequently, in 2003, there was a further expansion that added the quarters used to house Churchill along with his wife and associates.

This museum is part of the Imperial War Museums and offers visitors insights and a feel for one of the darker times in our modern history. The main hub of activity in the War Rooms was the map room where intelligence was gathered and displayed around the clock by officers and daily briefings were prepared for the chiefs of staff, the Prime Minister and the King.

During the latter part of the war another room, the Transatlantic Telephone Room, was used for a special encrypted telephone that allowed Churchill to make secure calls to President Roosevelt in Washington.

Today this museum receives over 300,000 visitors each year. The Churchill War Rooms are open daily from 9:30 am until 6 pm except for December 24-26. This museum does have an admission charge, however anyone aged 15 and under is free.

There are many other attractions within easy walking distance of the Churchill War Rooms Museum. Some of these include The Horse Guards Parade, Saint James's Park, Hyde Park, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, Westminster Cathedral and the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben. These attractions can be nicely combined into a memorable one or two day walking tour.

For more information about the Churchill War Rooms as well as exhibitions and hours visit their official website.



Facts For Your Visit

Fee: Yes

Churchill War Rooms Hours:
Opening hours may differ on holidays

  • Monday: 9:30 AM – 6:00 PM
  • Tuesday: 9:30 AM – 6:00 PM
  • Wednesday: 9:30 AM – 6:00 PM
  • Thursday: 9:30 AM – 6:00 PM
  • Friday: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
  • Saturday: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
  • Sunday: 9:30 AM – 6:00 PM

Address: King Charles St, London SW1A 2AQ, UK

Phone: 020 7416 5000

Official Website: Churchill War Rooms

Churchill War Rooms Reviews

Rated 4.6 out of 5 Star Rating

5 Star Rating This is an amazing museum that offers a great look into the blitz during World War II in London. I would highly recommend this tour for a history bus, and it’s right in the heart of London. I believe our tour came with an audio guide, which was a must. Make sure you take advantage of the audio, is it walked you through the entire facility. You could walk this tour in 30 minutes if you just see things to move on, but with the audiobook plan on about two hours. Very nice, clean restrooms at the end of the tour, and the entire facility was air-conditioned in the middle of July.
Cory Miller - a week ago

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5 Star Rating Great start to our river cruise (London/Paris/Normandy beaches) to visit here. I am pretty sure I visited the rooms in early 70s but if so it looks very different now. Our tour was able to enter at 8am so we got ahead of the usual crowd. And there was a crowd at 10am. Take advantage of the self-directed audio tour and get a lot of what is shown. Remarkable that UK was able to run there part of WW2 just 10 feet underground in such cramped quarters for six years. The back part of rooms is all about Churchill from birth to death. You get quite a lot of his history making achievements in the exhibits.
Doug Caldwell - a month ago

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4 Star Rating Another fascinating walk through history. Slightly confusing when you start, but personally I would visit the main museum about W Churchill life and then walk through the War rooms. Take your time so you can admire the sights and sounds. You will need a good hour plus to really explore the museum. Enjoy
J T G Nielsen - a month ago

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5 Star Rating The history here is immense and must be experienced by everyone visiting London. It’s neat to see where the war was being run during such dark times, complete with a huge section dedicated to Winston Churchill. The Winston Churchill section was much larger than expected that I had to start moving a little faster to keep up with my schedule. The war rooms themselves are well documented and labeled down there and I learned quite a lot. Reservations in advance are definitely recommended as there is only so much room down there, hence only so many people are allowed at a time. I could have spent half the day here if I could.
Cody P - a month ago

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5 Star Rating Highly Recommend. I was in London for 5 days and this was a late add to my itinerary. I booked the guided tour before the museum opened to the public, and that was the right choice. Having an extremely knowledgeable tour guide (Mr. Smith) and walking through the museum with only around 10 people was a delightful experience and well worth the extra money. I did several other guided tours of the major tourist attractions in the city and this one was the best.
Andy B - a month ago

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Directions

Tube Line Nearest Station Walking Time
Circle, District and Jubilee LineWestminster8 minutes
Northern and Bakerloo LineCharing Cross10 minutes

How to get to Churchill War Rooms by Tube

From Charing Cross Station exit to Trafalger Square and exit the roundabout onto The Mall and then go south (left) on Horse Guards Road to the entrance just right of the Clive steps and monument.

From Westminster Station take Exit 6 and go left out of the underpass, then go right on Great George Street and right onto Horse Guards Road to the entrance just right of the Clive Steps and monument.

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