Churchill War Rooms

The Churchill War Rooms are a preserved underground wartime headquarters beneath Whitehall in central London, now operated as a museum by the Imperial War Museums and focused on Britain’s World War II leadership.

Built in the late 1930s as a secure, underground government command centre, the rooms were used by the British cabinet and Winston Churchill throughout the Second World War. The complex was later preserved and opened to the public as a museum and was augmented with the Churchill Museum in the early 21st century.

The War Rooms lie under Whitehall close to 10 Downing Street and a short walk from Westminster Underground station in central London.

• Wartime use: The complex was built as an underground government headquarters in the late 1930s and used continuously during World War II, 1939 to 1945.
• Visitor note: The site is part of the Imperial War Museums and is reached from Whitehall near Downing Street and Parliament; expect low ceilings and narrow corridors in many areas.

What to See #

• Map Room: The preserved wartime Map Room where staff tracked military operations during World War II, maintained in near-original condition.
• Cabinet War Rooms: A suite of Cabinet War Rooms including meeting rooms and offices used by the British government during the 1939-1945 period.
• Churchill Museum: An adjoining interpretive Churchill Museum with multimedia displays covering Winston Churchill's life and wartime leadership, added later to the complex.