National Army Museum

Photo of an army helicopter suspended above an atrium. Photo of an army helicopter suspended above an atrium.
Photo by me, from the cafe.

I can’t fault the facilities at the National Army Museum - their galleries are immaculately laid out in an airy, bright and inviting building.

The museum is very closely affiliated with the army and I felt a little cynical about its purpose - rest assured you won’t be confronted with many difficult questions about their past activities.

Talks

The Battle of Atbara

Learn how the Battle of Atbara in 1898 shaped later history, with stories from people who were there and links to figures famous in later wars.

Free

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Conflict

1945: The Reckoning

Phil Craig talks about what winning the Second World War really meant, sharing honest stories of courage, betrayal and tough changes for the world.

Free

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Conflict Politics

Related Attractions

Photo of the exterior of the Imperial War Museum. Photo of the exterior of the Imperial War Museum.
Photo by me.

Imperial War Museum

Located in Lambeth

At the risk of stating the obvious, the National Army Museum is about the army while the Imperial War Museum is about war.

As such I found the IWM to be a more sombre experience, you won’t see as many displays of colourful uniforms but will learn more about the depressing realities of conflict.

The IWM is also larger and focuses only on the 20th Century and onwards, allowing them to cover their subjects in more depth.