London : Imperial War Museum

10th July 2011. Written by Xin Li.
London, United Kingdom
The Imperial War Museum of London is housed at the former Bethlem Royal Hospital. The museum dates back to the 1920s and was part of an effort to record the war effort and sacrifice of the Britain and her Empire.

The museum might not be the top of the London’s Landmarks list but it is nonetheless and interesting museum to visit. For a start, the art deco interior is worth checking out.

The museum focuses mainly on World War I and World War II history with substantial of gallery space dedicated to these eras. There are also exhibits on the Cold War, Iraq War and Vietnam War.

There is scale model showcasing what trench warfare was like.

The exhibits are decorated like a still life setting with mannequins dressed in all kinds of uniforms. For people interested in war history and uniforms, this should be on your list of must-visits.

Kamikaze Pilot

Pilot Parachutist

You have weapons,

Machines,

War posters,

The entrance is free (open 10am to 6pm daily) and there is plenty of stuff to see besides WWII exhibits. The atrium for example houses a variety of military gears from old artilleries to tanks and a submarine mockup.

An exhibition worth checking out is the Children’s War segment which featured the lives of children going through the World War II in Britain.

My favorite exhibition item is the recreation of a 1940s house. A meticulously reconstructed typical house of the 1930s featuring a makeshift bomb shelter as well as real genuine future that came from the 1940s.

HOW to GET THERE:
The Imperial War Museum is only a few minutes’ walk from the nearest Tube Station, Lambert North, Bakerloo Line.