Although the name sounds like a museum glorifying war, it does anything but that. While it does pay tribute to those who fought, it devotes a lot of effort to showing the effects of war on non-combatants, both those who have the misfortune of being caught near or in the middle of the fighting and those whose lives were disrupted by the war effort at home. It highlights the roles of women and minorities (mostly those from Britain's then-colonies). I thought it did a very good job of stating facts without bias. I spent three hours on just the first three floors (WW I, WW II and the Holocaust) and could have spent more.

Especially interesting museum if you are a war buff. It was also enlightening to see this history through a different perspective as an American as it covers both World War 1 and 2. Also a very moving holocaust exhibit. So much to see and read. We reserved our tickets online the day before and attended on a Friday morning. Many school groups around but still very accessible. We spent about 3 1/2 hours here. We also viewed the special exhibit in the Troubles in Northern Ireland which was interesting but, in my opinion, too short. Be advised the Imperial War Museum and the Churchill War Rooms are different tours in very different places. The tickets are all booked through the Imperial War Museums site. The War Rooms are a fee and the Imperial War Museum London is free.

Visiting London for only a few days and certainly having a great interest in 20th Century war history meant that a visit to the IWM was mandatory. What a wonderful museum ! Magnificently laid out with marvellous exhibitions specifically WW 1 and 2. Whilst the “ holocaust “ exhibition was both haunting and even sinister with the depictions of absolute horror perpetrated against many people it is perhaps something that everyone should see, both young and old. Congratulations to all the people involved with this marvellous museum, simply a must place to visit. Highly recommended !

The Museum is just amazing. Six floors of exhibition space. The entrance opens up into the famous atrium where numerous full size aircraft hang, from the iconic Spitfire to the Harrier jump jet. The Museum is packed with real full sized items not models or mock-ups. There are tanks, boats, rockets uniforms and artworks, to name just a few. Throughout the exhibition spaces audio visuals play through the day. It is not all big machines; the Museum has dedicated archive and research rooms and a massive collection of learning resources. There is a mixture of permanent displays such as the World War 1 & 2 displays, the Art and Film galleries and the Peace and Security gallery amongst others. Check the website for new limited duration exhibitions and installations. Private and guided tours can be arranged. Admission is free, donations are encouraged and there are opportunities to volunteer. The London museum is one of five imperial war museums, all linked as branches of the London HQ

This is one of the best museums we have ever been to. Unassuming at first but the displays lay out an outstanding understanding of World War I and Ii. Much more to see. Not extremely crowded, but book timed tickets anyway. A hidden gem. Very educational.

We found the galleries to be well presented with fascinating artefacts. There is an enormous amount of information about both World Wars. The holocaust part is eerie and not recommended for under 14s. After about 2 hours my children had seen enough. We had a picnic in the park outside which was nice.

Went to the museum when visiting London as my husband loves the history of ww1. The exhibits are informative, well thought out and presented. He really enjoyed the visit, and found it interesting and informative. I did not enjoy as I found the experience upsetting, particularly the holocaust exhibit. Great for those lacking knowledge or those particularly interested in the history of war.

In London for the weekend to see the sights and explore the city with friends. We planned to go to Imperial War Museum before we made our journey to London. The Imperial war museum was beyond impressive and as we are from Northern Ireland , the troubles in Northern Ireland exhibition was spot on and left no detail missed. We even learned a few things about our history that we didn't know before. Staff were very helpful when I asked how to leave positive feedback. By the end of our trip ,I was only too happy to donate so they can continue their fantastic work. Very pleased!

We liked the exhibits and especially the poppy flowers. Recommend the restaurant as it has daily meals. Bought two fair trade poppies for 24.00 gbp. Admission to the museum was free. Clean washrooms.

It has the usual WW1 and WW2 exhibits but the new holocaust exhibit is powerful and very moving. Not suitable for kids or even young teens it is definitely something to experience and a powerful reminder how they were democratically elected. An important reminder these days