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Imperial War Museum


 Imperial War Museum, Lambeth Road, London, SE1 6HZ

Museum symbol
Tel: 020 7416 5320 Fax: 020 7416 5374
Email: mail@iwm.org.uk
Web: london.iwm.org.uk

  Image of the Imperial War Museum venue
Information logo  What is here
Here you can learn about the history of Britain at war.
There are lots of displays like tanks, planes, flying bombs, submarines and army trucks. You can go inside some of the exhibits.
Many displays are interactive (using video) and have touch screens.
You can also find out more about the history of the Museum.

You can have an audio tour of the Museum's main galleries. The full tour lasts about 1 hour 45 minutes, BUT you or your group can listen to as much, OR as little as you like. You can find out about 40 important exhibits, and hear the experiences of the men and women who made history.
You get the audio tour from the Admissions Point or the Information Desk in the large exhibits hall.

There are special sound guides for the Holocaust Exhibition.

There are tours for people with learning disabilities on the 1st or 2nd World War - you need to book a week before you go.
The tours can be made to fit your needs. Call 020 7416 5441 to discuss the needs of you or your group, OR click here to learn more about Learning & Access at the Museum.

There are 6 floors of things to see here - too much to see in 1 visit!

There is also a Learning Centre, public telephone, shop and café. Sometimes the Museum has activities and events, like art exhibitions, poetry readings or workshops.
Opening hours logo  Opening hours
Sunday 10.00 pm - 6.00 pm
Monday 10.00 pm - 6.00 pm
Tuesday 10.00 pm - 6.00 pm
Wednesday 10.00 pm - 6.00 pm
Thursday 10.00 pm - 6.00 pm
Friday 11.00 pm - 6.00 pm
Saturday 10.00 pm - 6.00 pm
The latest you can come in is 5.15 pm.
Closed 24, 25, 26 December.
   Cost or concessions
£ - Getting in is FREE!

The audio tour costs £3.50 for adults and children.
BUT it costs £3.00 if you have a disability,
OR you are a student,
OR you are over 60,
OR you have come as a group (of more than 10 people).

Food:
A cup of coffee and sandwich costs about £4.20.
A 2-course lunch costs £9.95. For this you can choose a freshly prepared main dish, a desert and have a glass of wine. It all looked really tasty on our visit.
   Getting there
If you want to visit the Museum as a school group, and your school is in London, you can apply for free transport. To find out more click here.

Nearest landmark:
The Imperial War Museum is a well-known local landmark.
Click here to see a map from Streetmap.
Parking logo  Parking
There are only a few accessible parking spaces at the back of the Museum. To book a place, please call 020 7416 5320 or 020 7416 5321.
Bus logo  Local mobility bus routes
44, 360, C10, 3, 59 are the nearest mobility buses in the day.
N3, N159 are night buses.
159 is a Routemaster bus - not accessible.
Tube logo  Tube
(Bakerloo Line) - Lambeth North underground station is about 900 metres from the Museum.
Lambeth North underground station is not accessible for people using wheelchairs.

(Bakerloo, Northern, Jubilee Lines) - Waterloo underground station is about 2400 metres from the Museum.
Waterloo underground station is accessible for people using wheelchairs.

(Bakerloo, Northern Line) - Elephant & Castle underground station is about 1200 metres from the Museum.
Elephant & Castle underground station is not accessible for people using wheelchairs.
   British Rail
Waterloo main line train station is about 2400 meters from the Museum.
Waterloo main line train station is accessible for people using a wheelchair.
To find out more call Thames Link customer services on 0845 330 6333 or National Rail enquires on 08457 484 950.

Elephant & Castle main line train station is about 1200 meters from the Museum.
Elephant & Castle main line train station is not accessible for people using a wheelchair.
To find out more call Thames Link customer services on 0845 330 6333 or National Rail enquires on 08457 484 950.
Wheelchair access logo  Access from outside
There are 13 steps up to the main entrance. There is a accessible entrance on the right hand side of the building - it brings you to the Lower Ground Floor. The accessible entrance is well sign-posted.
   Getting around inside
The entrance door for people using a wheelchair is very wide.
The Imperial War Museum is very accessible for people using wheelchairs. The only part that is not accessible is the upstairs of the 1940's house in the Children's War exhibition.

There are 2 lifts, which can take you to all the floors. The lift doorway is about 900mm wide. There is also a lift in the Holocaust exhibition. Please ask for support from a Museum Assistant to enter the Blitz Experience and Trench Experience.

There are 6 floors.

The Lower Ground Floor:
This is where you come into the Museum. You will find the accessible toilets and baby change here.
The exhibitions on this floor are about the 1st and 2nd World Wars, life in trench wars and the children's war.
It's a good place to start your tour from!

The Ground floor:
This is where you will find the reception, free cloakroom, cafe and shop. There is an accessible toilet on this floor.
The café chairs and tables are not fixed to the floor.
The shop sells books, gifts, posters and postcards.
The large exhibit space and theatre are here.

Floor 1:
The exhibitions here are the Merchant Navy war and Secret war. You can also see the Museum's collection of George Crosses and Victorian Crosses.
There is an accessible toilet on this floor.

Floor 2:
This floor has a picture gallery. There is an accessible toilet on this floor.

Floor 3:
This is where you can see the Holocaust exhibition.

Floor 4:
This is where you can see the 'Crimes Against Humanity' Exhibition and a 30 minute movie.
Wheelchair facilities logo Accessible toilets
Disabled toilets are available on all floors except 3 and 4.They are well signposted.
There are accessible toilets on all floors except 3 and 4.They are well signposted. All the accessible toilets are unisex.
The accessible toilets on the Lower Ground Floor have the widest doorway - about 950 mm wide. The doorways to the other accessible toilets are about 760mm wide.
The toilets are not kept locked - they all have hand rails.

Please note there are no toilets on Floor 4.
   Support and equipment
There are trained staff on each floor. The staff were all very happy to help, and told us lots about the museum.

Registered assistance dogs are welcome. If you can, please let the Museum know you will bring a dog by calling 020 7416 5320 OR 020 7416 5321.

There are seats to sit on inside the Museum. OR you could carry one of their stools with you - they fold away flat and are very light. You can get one from the Reception or Information Desk.

There are wheelchairs you can borrow while you visit. Ask about them at the Reception or Information Desk OR book one before you go by calling 020 7416 5320.

If you are hard of hearing the Museum has 5 portable listening devices, which you can borrow. You can borrow one from the Reception or Information Desk. You don't need a hearing aid to use one.

The public telephone and Museum cinema have an infra-red induction loop. If you use a hearing aid you should set it to 'T'.

If you have a visual impairment you are allowed to touch the large exhibits on the Ground Floor and 1st Floor balcony. It is not allowed to touch exhibits anywhere else in the Museum.

Some of the exhibitions are explained in large print - you can get a copy at Reception. You can also use a magnifying sheet to help read the labels and documents. The magnifying sheets are kept at the Reception.

There is an accessible study room, which also has equipment for people with a visual impairment. You can ask about the study room at the Reception, OR call 020 7416 5342 to book an appointment.
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