What are the Churchill War Rooms?
The Churchill War Rooms are the underground bunker in Westminster, London, where Winston Churchill and the British government directed the war effort during World War II. Today, they are a museum run by the Imperial War Museums.
The rooms, originally called the Cabinet War Rooms, were built beneath government offices in Whitehall in 1938 and became operational just before war broke out in 1939.
They were designed to protect the government from air raids. The Map Room was staffed day and night, tracking military operations around the world.
Frozen in time
When the war ended in 1945, the lights in the Map Room were switched off and the rooms were left largely untouched. Maps, pins and furniture remain where they were left.
Visitors can see the Cabinet Room, where Churchill held more than 100 meetings, and the small transatlantic telephone room disguised as a private toilet, used for secure calls to the US President.
The museum also includes the Churchill Museum, which tells the story of his life and career through documents, objects and interactive displays. The War Rooms are one of the most popular historic sites in London, and timed tickets help manage crowds in the narrow corridors.