The Imperial War Museum might not be the most popular attraction in London but its one that’s well worth going to and even though its on the south side of the Thames is easy to get to.
Its in the building of what used to be the Bethlehem Royal Hospital for the Insane (they moved all the occupants into the Houses of Parliament) in Lambeth and is only about a 10 minute walk from County Hall and the London Eye.

If you’re walking over Westminster Bridge, carry on straight at the big roundabout down Westminster Bridge Road. You’ll see a large church spire, Christ Church, where the road forks, take the right fork down Kennington Road and a left on Lambeth Road and you’ll see the grounds of the museum with a set of absolutely enormous guns from a battleship set in front of the old hospital building. If you’re coming by tube Lambeth North is the station to get off at, its at the junction of Westminster Bridge and Kennington Roads.

The Imperial War Museum was first set up to preserve and display items from the First World war involving British and Commonwealth forces and it moved to the current location in 1936. It now features collections and displays from all military operations that have involved British or Commonwealth forces from 1914 to the present day.

The museum is free to enter although for some selected special exhibitions there might be a admission charge. Immediately inside the front doors is a large hall filled with real military hardware from the last hundred years. Real tanks, artillery pieces and cannons, from the high ceilings they’ve hung fighter planes from World War’s 1 and 2 including bi-planes, a Spitfire and the jet fighter that the Germans had developed and started using just as the Second World War was ending. Also on display are captured examples of the V1 and V2 rockets that Germans used to bomb London in 1945 and a Polaris nuclear missile from a British submarine.

The museum is on a number of levels with galleries in the basement as well as three upper floors. As you go up each level the are balconies all the way around the main hall allowing you to get a real close look and photograph some of the aircraft they have on display.

The museum has a large number of permanent galleries including ones on the First World War and Second World War which use everything from weapons, uniforms, documents , photos, film and art to tell the story on these conflicts.

Their outstanding Holocaust Exhibition is permanent and is spread over a number of levels, telling the story of the rise of Hitler and the Nazis and how they planned and carried out the Final Solution. This exhibition is really well put together and worth spending some time in if you’re in the museum, they recommend you don’t take younger children in though and photography is not allowed inside it.

Among the special exhibitions on at the moment are The Animals’ War looking at how animals get used in conflicts. This runs until April 2007 and costs £6 for adults. Henry Moore: War and Utility is a collection of British artist Henry Moore’s war related work, this is on until Feruary 2007 and costs £7 for adults. The Children’s War is the Second World War from a child in Britain’s perspective, evacuation, air raids, lack of food etc. It’s running until March 2008 and is free.

The Imperial War Museum is open daily from 10am-6pm, its closed 24-26 December. Its quite spacious and easy to get around and if you’re looking for an interesting place to visit for free in central London cross over to the south bank around Westminster and you’ll soon be here.