Churchill War Rooms

Just below the pavements of Westminster, a warren of underground rooms kept Britain fighting through its darkest hours. During World War II, the German air force launched relentless bombing campaigns over British cities, and the British government needed somewhere safe to plan and coordinate the war effort. What they built was the Cabinet War Rooms, a fortified complex from which Prime Minister Winston Churchill directed the entire Allied strategy.

Churchill was one of the most influential leaders of the 20th century, known for his defiance and his extraordinary ability to rally a nation under pressure. From a small office right here in this bunker, he broadcast speeches directly to the British public through a private line to the BBC, his voice becoming a symbol of resistance in an era when the outcome of the war was far from certain. Despite having a bed in that office, he almost never slept in it, preferring the comfort of 10 Downing Street overhead.

After Japan's surrender ended the war in 1945, the rooms were sealed and eventually preserved as a national monument. Today they form part of the Imperial War Museum, and you can walk through the original offices almost exactly as they were left.