Imperial War Museum

Having survived two world wars and maintaining its status as a military pioneer, Britain is a country steeped in military history and whether you’re looking to marvel over towering tanks and aircrafts, get a harrowing glimpse of life in wartime Britain or pay your respects to the thousands who’ve lost their lives in combat, London’s Imperial War Museum offers an all-encompassing introduction to the capital’s war history.

Devoted to telling the stories of Britain’s soldiers and citizens, and educating younger generations on the Great Wars, much of the museum’s focus is centered on the two World Wars, as well as a series of acclaimed temporary exhibitions. A vast permanent collection of war memorabilia including tanks, aircrafts and personal items from the war years are on show, housed in an enormous Grade II-listed Georgian building. Among the highlights is a recreation of a WWI bunker, a number of interactive exhibits following a ‘Family in Wartime’, an award-winning Holocaust exhibition and a collection of acclaimed wartime photography by Cecil Beaton.

Practical Info

The museum is undergoing major renovations in the early part of 2013, with plans to open a series of galleries to mark the 100-year anniversary of the start of World War I in 2014.