Military extravaganza (Imperial War Museum (London))

Member Name: tanyatigerlily

Product:	Imperial War Museum (London)
Date:	25/08/09 (24 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Creative displays

Disadvantages: The restaurant is average and expensive.

A museum that my husband and I visit on a regular basis is the Imperial War Museum in London. It is a must-see for those who have an interest in anything to do with the Military. The building was built in 1811 and was originally the 'Bethlehem Royal Hospital for the Insane'. It is an impressive building with two massive battleship guns in the front of the building. I must admit that I am not keen on war, but the creative displays and the way that the volume of information is presented is both informative and accessible, and is bound to impress anyone.

When you walk into the museum you are immediately confronted by an immense central hall filled with all sorts of tanks, submarines, bombs, aircraft and other huge engines of war. Little boys (and big boys) love the fact that they can get up close, feel the tanks and often take a peek inside.

There are sections of the museum devoted entirely to WW1 & WW2. You can try out the 'Trench experience' and the 'Blitz Experience' that accost your senses with the sights and sounds of warfare. The section which I enjoy is the 'Children's War' which focuses on how children experienced war, what happened to them and what everyday life was like at the time.

The museum houses various permanent displays as well as temporary special exhibitions. Entrance to the museum is free, but certain special exhibitions have an entrance fee.

Permanent exhibitions include the Holocaust Exhibition, WW1 & WW2, an Art Gallery that includes paintings and drawings done by soldiers, and the Children's War. The curators regularly refresh the displays so that there is always something new to see even if you are a regular visitor like us.

Currently the museum has an exhibition called 'Terrible Trenches' presented by Horrible Histories that is on until 31 October 2009 and is aimed mainly at young visitors. Other temporary exhibitions include the 'Windrush War' which focuses on War in the West Indies and 'Outbreak 1939' which gives an account of the day war was declared and the newspaper clippings and advertisements which appeared on the streets.

Visitors include a cross-section of family groups, foreign tourists and ex-service personnel. What makes this museum so special is that it is very tactile as you are allowed to touch most of the exhibits. It provides insight into military hardware as well as the human aspect of war.

Highly recommended by my husband and I.

Summary: An education for anyone impacted by conflict, as well as those interested in the military