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IWM London gives voice to the extraordinary experiences of ordinary people forced to live in a world torn apart by conflict.
Opening Times
10am - 6pm daily.
Open every day except 24 to 26 December.
Lambeth Road, London, SE1 6HZ
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IWM is a charity
Your support helps IWM to share powerful stories of war and conflict with current and future generations.
Discover IWM London
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IWMTake part in free fun-packed family activities and adventure trails every weekend and daily during school holidays.
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IWMView era-defining art in the Blavatnik Art, Film and Photography Galleries, showcasing the experiences and innovations of artists, filmmakers and photographers. These galleries explore the complex tension between creativity and destruction.
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Hear about our collections, exhibitions, stories, events and other ways you can support us.
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Be moved. Be inspired. Be transformed.
Founded while the First World War was still raging, Imperial War Museum London gives voice to the extraordinary experiences of ordinary people forced to live their lives in a world torn apart by conflict.
From the moment you step into the iconic atrium, to the countless discoveries awaiting you in the award-winning galleries, IWM London examines the continuing influence of war on our world.
Hear extraordinary true stories of ordinary people’s experiences of conflict across the museum’s six floors – stories that have the power to move, inspire and transform.
© IWM LBY_055536_A (cropped)
Emergency Exits: The Fight for Independence in Malaya, Kenya and Cyprus
17 October 2025 to 29 March 2026
Free entry
The end of the Second World War did not mean peace for everyone—it accelerated the fight for independence across the British Empire. Emergency Exits explores the conflicts that came next.
These were called ‘Emergencies’ by the British government at the time. The exhibition tells the revelatory stories of how these brutal conflicts shaped Britain, its former territories and the modern world.