Rediscover what life was like on the Home Front as well as the Front Line during the Second World War at these fascinating museums, says Emma Field.
- Why is the poppy a symbol of remembrance?
- Best WWII movies of all time: films that depict the horror and humanity of war
- Why some places are more 'thankful' than others. Discover the shameful secret behind the villages with no war memorial
Best World War Two museums in the UK
Eden Camp Modern History Theme Museum
Malton, North Yorkshire
Originally built to house prisoners of war, this museum lifts the lid on wartime life through medals, photos, contemporary newspaper front pages, POW artefacts and a Dig for Victory garden.
Ramsgate Tunnels
Ramsgate, Kent
In 1940, the Daily Express called Ramsgate’s deep-shelter system of tunnels “the safest spot in Britain”. The tunnels were designed to shelter 60,000 people, and about 1,000 people lived down here permanently.
Royal Navy Submarine Museum
Gosport, Hampshire
Experienced submariners lift the hatch on life in the Silent Service on a tour of HMS Alliance, the only surviving British ocean-going submarine from WWII. Atmospheric noises and smells included.
Bletchley Park
Milton Keynes, Bucks
No list of WW2 museums would be complete without a mention of the world famous Bletchley. Vital intelligence activity took place at Bletchley: Alan Turing and a team of codebreakers played a crucial but top-secret part in helping Britain win the war by cracking the Enigma code from a hut in the grounds, which has since been turned into a book and film, The Imitation Game.
Churchill War Rooms
London
Winston Churchill, key cabinet members and government staff took shelter in this underground bunker beneath the streets of Westminster. The Map Room has been left exactly as it was when they emerged in 1945.
Orkney Wireless Museum
Kirkwall, Scotland
WWII maps, Allied and German radios and photos of wartime Orkney are displayed in this museum, along with information on how wireless helped defend the Home Fleet at Scapa Flow.
Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre
East Kirky, Lincolnshire
Sited on an original WWII airfield, this heritage centre has a restored Control Tower, a hangar filled with RAF memorabilia – as well as the chance to taxi in a Lancaster bomber.
Best World War Two museums in the world
Musée d’Arromanches
Normandy, France
This museum was the first to commemorate the D-Day Landings, and is located on the stretch of coastline used for one of the most significant military operations during World War II. Items on clothing are on display, as well as films.
Anne Frank House
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Discover the story of Anne Frank, her diary and the Secret Annex in this world-famous museum. Anne's first diary, with its recognisable red-and-white checked cover, is on display, as well as many other traces and personal objects from those who hid in the annex.
The National World War II Museum
New Orleans, US
This museum tells the story of the American experience in World War II. Explore exhibits of military machines, 360° displays and a 4D film (narrated by Tom Hanks).
Learn more about UK history
- How rural areas rose to the challenge of feeding the population amidst World War One - and changed farming for good
- Britain's best underground attractions: caves, caverns and secret passages
- Guide to Britain's battlefields: history and best sites to visit
- RNLI lifeboats launched 1,808 times and saved 5,332 lives at sea during the First World War
Header image: The Map Room in Cabinet War Rooms bunker, which has been preserved entirely unchanged since the second World War. Credit: Getty