This post explains how to visit the Churchill War Rooms in London, with tips on tickets, discounts, what you will see and how to plan your visit.
TIP: For more of London during WW2, make sure to book yourself onto our World War II Walking Tour!
- Overview
- Tickets
- Discounts
- Plan Your Visit
- Exhibits
- Things to Do in London
- Military Museums in London
Preserved and looked after by the Imperial War Museum, the Churchill War Rooms are a must-see for lovers of history or those who are interested in learning more about our military past or the life and times of Mr. Churchill himself.
The War Rooms were initially created in the basement of the New Public Offices to be used in the event of war or aerial bombing.
Conversion of the basement into the War Rooms began in June 1938 and became operation 27th of August the following year – literally days before Britain’s declaration of war on Germany on September 3rd, 1939.
This underground nerve centre is where Winston Churchill directed many battles and attended hundreds of meetings to ensure victory during WWII.
As soon as the end of World War II was declared, personnel switched off the lights, left the bunker, and closed the door.
Totally abandoned after the second World War, the War Rooms were available to view only by special appointment.
As a result of efforts by Margaret Thatcher and the British government, the Churchill War Rooms were eventually opened to the public in 1984.
To this day, anyone is welcome to visit and see where the fate of nations was once decided and learn about the history of Sir Winston Churchill.
TICKETS
You can purchase your tickets in advance online or at the box office and the price is the same.
Importantly, only tickets purchased online come with skip-the-line privileges.
When you purchase tickets online, you are asked to choose a time slot to arrive at. Once inside you can stay as long as you like.
NOTE: you can use the London Sightseeing Pass to save an extra 20% off tickets!
Learn more about this option in our section about how to save money on tickets.
Ticket Prices as of September 2023
- £27.25/Adults (ages 16-59)
- £13.60/Children (ages 5-15)
- £24.50/Seniors (60+), Students & Disabled
Purchase tickets to the Churchill War Rooms.
DISCOUNTS AND PROMO CODES
This section has a list of possible discounts - including attraction passes that can get you in for free or a 50% discount, military discounts, and other concessions.
Tourist Attraction Discount Passes
Purchasing a London Pass or the Explorer Pass is usually one of the best ways to save money on tickets to London attractions. Unfortunately, the Churchill War Rooms are not included with these passes. That being said, you can use the London Sightseeing Pass to save 20% on tickets!
Admission to many nearby attractions is included with the passes, making it easier to enjoy the entire area rather than just going to one location.
Check our post covering which London tourist pass is best for more details.
2 for 1 Discount with National Rail
If you purchase and use a National Rail ticket on the same day you visit the Churchill War Rooms, it could give you a 2 for 1 deal.
This deal is also valid at more than 150 London sites and attractions. Check our full post for 2 for 1 discount details.
NOTE: This deal is not currently active as of August 2022.
National Art Pass
When you purchase the National Art Pass you'll get free or 50% off entry to over 240 participating museums and major exhibitions.
The pass costs £73 for an individual and £110 for two adults and is valid all year. You can add kids to the pass for just £10 per child.
National Art Pass holders get Churchill War Rooms entry for £13.18 (children with an Art Pass get tickets for £6.58).
Military Discount
As of August 2022, the IWM offers free admission to the Churchill War Rooms for serving UK Armed Forces and Veterans on both Armed Forces Day and Remembrance Day.
Senior Discount, Student Discount, Disabled Visitor Discount
Visitors over age 65 with valid ID, full-time students with an ID, and disabled visitors get the reduced concession price of £23.60 per ticket.
Personal assistants for disabled visitors will receive free admission.
Become an IWM Member
Members of the IWM receive free admission to the Churchill War Rooms.
Membership prices start at £5 a month or £60 a year. If you plan to visit more than once per year, this could easily help you save a lot of money.
TIP: If you're bringing a family of at least 2 adults and 5 children, you can actually save a few pounds just by getting an annual family IWM membership for £114 (normally over £118).
Coupon Sites
Keep an eye out on coupon sites such as Groupon for occasional ticket discounts.
These types of services also provide additional coupon codes you can use to save an extra 10% - 25% off popular activities in the area.
This section will provide all the details you need to plan out a trip to the Churchill War Rooms.
We will include a variety of information such as how to get here, operating hours, the best times to visit, and how much time to spend at the attraction.
BEST TIME TO VISIT
The Churchill War Rooms currently have the same operating hours year-round. At times they offer extended hours in the summer, but that is not the case as of 2023.
Hours
Open every day of the year except 24, 25 & 26 December.
- Hours: 9:30 am - 6 pm
- Last entry is at 5 pm
Unlike other attractions in London, the Churchill War Rooms are almost always busy.
Crowds can be just as hectic on weekdays as they are on weekends, so it doesn’t really matter which day you choose to come.
Instead of trying to pick the right day, your best bet is to choose the right time of day.
This location is far less crowded during the morning and in the evening.
We recommend planning for a visit from 9:30 am - 12 pm or 4 pm - 6 pm.
In addition to deciding when to come, we also recommend giving yourself enough time to get through the ticket queue.
Many visitors indicate that this line can get pretty long (sometimes more than an hour), so it will be important to consider how much time it takes to get in.
How to Get Tickets
There are three ways to get tickets for the Churchill War Rooms: from the ticket office, online, or with a tourist pass.
If you purchase tickets online, you’ll have the opportunity to skip-the-queue and head straight to the security checkpoint.
Everyone has to wait in line for this security check, but ordering online allows you to skip one of the two lines at this location, saving you valuable time.
For information about prices and opportunities to save money on this attraction, make sure to read our ticket details section.
How Much Time Do You Need?
There are a lot of things to see and do at the Churchill War Rooms.
While some people will only visit for 60 - 90 minutes, others recommend setting aside at least 2 - 2 ½ hours for this activity.
Anyone planning to spend at least 2 hours here should think about giving themselves a little more time to get through the ticket queue and security checkpoint.
If you want to avoid the ticket line, make sure to purchase a skip-the-queue ticket so that you can head straight to the security check.
Tour Options
Although the Imperial War Museums do not offer public guided tours of the Churchill War Rooms, they do provide an audio guide for free with every ticket.
This audio guide is available in English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Hebrew, Portuguese, and Mandarin. There is also a descriptive guide for guests who have a visual impairment.
If your heart is set on a fully guided tour of the Churchill War Rooms, consider taking their private tour. You and a group of up to 10 people will enjoy an hour-long tour led by expert guides.
The only downside to this option is that it will run you at least £500 or more. That all said, you don't necessarily need a tour to visit the war rooms, but it's nice to know the audio guide is free!
For more information, visit the description of the Churchill War Rooms private tour.
It’s also worth noting that the Churchill War Rooms are a stop on our guided Westminster Tour, our London in a Day Tour, and our GPS-enabled anytime audio tour.
Although we do not provide any guided trips through the museum, these walking tours will allow you to learn more about the history of the area.
TIP: If you're looking for a cheaper alternative, there are several combo packages that include admission to the Churchill War Rooms with a London walking tour. Prices start at around £70.
What to Expect
This location is actually a combination of two separate pieces: The Churchill Museum and the Cabinet War Rooms.
While the museum explores the life of former Prime Minister Winston Churchill, the war rooms will give you a look at the underground complex where Churchill directed the forces during World War II.
Additionally, there is also a permanent installation focusing on what life was like in Churchill’s bunkers.
We will go into further detail about these exhibits and other notable things to see at the Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms in our What to See section.
How to Get Here
The Churchill War Rooms are located right across the road from St. James’s Park on King Charles Street.
There are several ways to get here, but regardless of how you choose to get here, we recommend using this Google Maps link for specific directions to the Churchill War Rooms.
London Underground: Westminster Station is one block away from the Churchill War Rooms. If you are new to using the Underground see our post about using the London Underground.
Hop-on-Hop-off Bus: Several bus tour companies provide a stop nearby at Whitehall, approximately one block from this location.
If you’re already considering a hop-on-hop-off bus tour, you could save money by using the bus to get here.
Is There a Coat Check or Luggage Storage?
There is no coatroom or any place to store your bags inside the museum.
As the space within the attraction is limited, they ask that you not bring backpacks or suitcases with you.
If you need somewhere to keep your bags while sightseeing in London, we have a post about luggage storage services here.
Nearby Attractions
The Churchill War Rooms are located right at the heart of Royal London.
You’ll find Buckingham Palace and Westminster Abbey within 5-10 minutes of this museum, not to mention notable landmarks such as Big Ben and the London Eye.
With so many things to see and do in the area, you may want to consider combining your visit to the War Rooms with an outing at some of these locations.
For more information, check out this list of London’s Royal Places.
Alternatively, you could also read our post about things to see near Buckingham Palace.
WHAT TO SEE
There are a lot of historic photographs, artefacts, and even interactive displays to see at the Churchill War Rooms.
This section will provide information about some of the most notable and popular exhibits and attractions in these historic rooms.
The Churchill Museum
This museum covers the life and times of Winston Churchill, providing a lot of important information about the man and everything he did for his country.
In addition to learning more about him, you’ll also have the opportunity to see some interesting artifacts related to both his life and military career.
Cabinet War Rooms
If you’ve ever wondered where Churchill and many others on his War Cabinet once planned out military actions during WWII, this is the place.
Head underground and see what life was like beneath the streets of Westminster.
While you’re learning about the historic war rooms, you’ll also have the chance to see a lot of interesting artifacts from that time period.
Undercover: Life in Churchill’s Bunker
In addition to the war rooms themselves, there is also a permanent exhibit detailing what life was like for staff members who once had to work and sleep in the underground bunkers you’ll find here.
The exhibition includes historic objects, images, and other interesting details that provide an in-depth look at how these rooms were once used in the wartime bunker.
The Map Room
Although this is a part of the underground War Rooms exhibit, it is one of the more popular locations at the museum.
The maps in this room remain untouched since 1945, making them one of the most significant historical artifacts from the era.
Churchill’s Bedroom
Even though he apparently didn’t spend much time here, it is pretty interesting to see Winston Churchill’s room beneath the streets of Westminster.
Surprisingly, his family apparently got a lot more use out of the room than he ever did.
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