Churchill War Rooms facts for kids
The Map Room of the Cabinet War Rooms
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| Established | 1984 |
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| Location | King Charles Street London, SW1 United Kingdom |
| Visitors | 620,933 (2019) |
| Public transit access |  Westminster |
| Imperial War Museums | |
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The Churchill War Rooms is a cool museum in London. It's part of the Imperial War Museum family. This special place has two main parts. First, there are the Cabinet War Rooms. This is a secret underground bunker. It was used by the British government during Second World War. Second, there's the Churchill Museum. This museum tells the amazing story of Winston Churchill. He was a very important British leader during the war.
Building these secret rooms started in 1938. They are located deep under the Treasury building in Whitehall, London. The War Rooms were ready on August 27, 1939. This was just a week before Britain declared war on Germany. They were used throughout the entire Second World War. The rooms were finally closed in August 1945, after Japan surrendered.
After the war, people realized how important the Cabinet War Rooms were. They were kept safe by the government. Only a few people could visit them by appointment. In the early 1980s, the Imperial War Museum took over. The Cabinet War Rooms first opened to the public in April 1984. In 2005, the museum was updated and renamed. It became the Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms. In 2010, the name was shortened to Churchill War Rooms.
Contents
Building the Secret Bunker
In 1936, the British Air Ministry worried about air attacks on London. They thought up to 200,000 people could be hurt each week. So, the government started looking for safe places. They wanted to move important offices out of central London.
In March 1938, a plan was made. Sir Hastings Ismay ordered a search for a temporary government center. This center would be used during bombing raids. It was the first time Britain needed such a place. There were no rules for how to build it. In May, they found the best spot. It was the basement of the New Public Offices building. This building is now the Treasury.
Work to turn the basement into the War Rooms began in June 1938. Sir Hastings Ismay helped supervise the project. They added communication systems and soundproofing. They also put in ventilation and made the walls stronger. Because the rooms are below the River Thames, they added flood doors and pumps. This was to stop water from getting in.
By summer 1938, military leaders had an idea. They wanted a Central War Room. This room would help them make quick decisions. The government leaders, like the Prime Minister, needed to be close to the military. So, in May 1939, they decided the Cabinet would meet in this room. The War Rooms were ready on August 27, 1939. This was just before the war began.
Life in the War Rooms During WWII
Staff entered the War Rooms through the main building. They went down Staircase 15 to get inside. Two rooms were super important during the war.
The Map Room
The Map Room was always busy. Officers from the Royal Navy, Army, and Air Force worked there 24/7. They created daily reports for the King, Prime Minister, and military leaders. These reports showed how the war was going.
The Cabinet Room
The Cabinet Room was where the Prime Minister met with his top advisors. The heads of the army, navy, and air force also joined. Secrecy was very important. Two guards stood outside the door during meetings. Sometimes, meetings lasted all night.
Before May 1940, Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain only met there once. But when Winston Churchill became Prime Minister, he loved the room. In May 1940, Churchill said, "This is the room from which I will direct the war." In total, 115 Cabinet meetings happened in the War Rooms. The last one was on March 28, 1945. This was when German V-weapon attacks ended.
In October 1940, during the Blitz bombings, they made the War Rooms even safer. They added a huge layer of concrete called 'the Slab'. It was up to 5 feet (1.5 meters) thick! By spring 1941, the War Rooms had grown three times their original size. They had dormitories for staff and private bedrooms for officers and ministers. There were also rooms for typists and telephone operators.
Special Rooms
Two other interesting rooms were the Transatlantic Telephone Room and Churchill's office-bedroom.
The Transatlantic Telephone Room was very advanced. From 1943, Churchill could speak secretly with American President Franklin D. Roosevelt. They used a special encrypted phone. This phone made their calls scrambled so no one could listen in.
Churchill's office-bedroom opened in July 1940. It even had BBC broadcasting equipment. Churchill made four wartime speeches from the War Rooms. The first was on September 11, 1940. Even though it had a bed, Churchill rarely slept underground. He preferred to sleep at 10 Downing Street. His daughter, Mary Soames, often slept in the room meant for Mrs. Churchill.
Below the War Rooms was another area called "the Dock." Staff could sleep there during heavy air raids. But it wasn't a nice place. The ventilation system was noisy, and there were mice. The ceilings were low, and there were no flushing toilets. One secretary called it "revolting."
Rooms 60 Right and 60A were used for telephones and typing. Because copying machines were basic, up to 11 typists worked at a time. They typed out copies of meeting notes by hand!
After the War: Abandoned and Saved
On August 15, 1945, Japan surrendered. This ended the war. The next day, the lights in the Map Room were simply turned off. Staff left their offices. Some rooms were used for other things. But the Cabinet Room, Map Room, Transatlantic Telephone Room, and Churchill's bedroom were saved. They were kept because of their history.
The government's Ministry of Works took care of them. In 1948, people asked if the public could visit. The government said no, because secret work was still happening nearby. However, journalists were given a tour on March 17.
Even though it wasn't fully open, people could visit by appointment. Only small groups were allowed. By the 1970s, thousands of people wanted to visit each year. But only about 5,000 could. The dry and dusty air was also damaging the old maps and furniture. There was talk of moving everything to another museum. But instead, money was found to protect the items right where they were.
Opening to the Public
In 1974, the government asked the Imperial War Museum to manage the site. But the museum felt it didn't have enough staff. In 1981, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher wanted the rooms opened soon. She was a big fan of Winston Churchill. So, the Imperial War Museum was asked again. This time, they agreed, as long as the government provided money.
The War Rooms opened to the public on April 4, 1984. Margaret Thatcher led the ceremony. Churchill's family members and former staff were there. At first, the museum managed the rooms for the government. In 1989, the Imperial War Museum took full control.
In 2003, the museum got bigger. Rooms used by Churchill and his family were added. These rooms had been used for storage after the war. It cost £7.5 million to restore them.
In 2012, the museum's entrance was redesigned. It now has a cool bronze entranceway. The old stone walls inside were cleaned. The new design looks strong and important.
The Churchill Museum
In 2005, the War Rooms were renamed the Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms. A large part of the site was turned into a museum about Churchill's life. This cost another £6 million from private donations.
The museum uses lots of screens and videos. The main attraction is a 15-meter (about 50-foot) interactive table. Visitors can touch it to see digital photos and documents. The museum tells Churchill's story in order. It starts when he became Prime Minister in 1940. Then it goes to the end of his life in 1965. After that, it goes back to his childhood and returns to May 1940.
The Churchill Museum won an award in 2006. It was the Council of Europe Museum Prize. Between 2009 and 2011, over 300,000 people visited each year. In May 2010, the museum's name was shortened to Churchill War Rooms.
See also
In Spanish: Churchill War Rooms para niños
