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Permanent Galleries
Free Admission
Large Exhibits Gallery
The Large Exhibits Gallery is the setting for some of the most important weapons and vehicles in the Collections.
First World War Galleries
The causes of the First World War were complex and are the subject of continuing historical debate. These galleries explore the shift in the balance of power in Europe, conflicting national ambitions, economic competition and colonial rivalries.
Second World War Galleries
The hopes for a lasting peace after the First World War were short-lived. Totalitarian states were established in Italy after 1922 under Mussolini and in Nazi Germany, where Hitler was made Chancellor in 1933. The Second World War galleries explore the complex political developments and resulting conflicts across the globe.
Conflicts since 1945
Britain's armed forces have undergone major changes since 1945. Britain's membership of NATO, together with advances in technology, have resulted in a smaller but better equipped force able to deal with a wide variety of tasks.
The Holocaust Exhibition
This permanent exhibition uses historical material to tell the story of the Nazis' persecution of the Jews and other groups before and during the Second World War. Photographs, documents, newspapers, artefacts, posters and film offer stark evidence of persecution and slaughter, collaboration and resistance.
Crimes against humanity: an exploration of genocide and ethnic violence
A specially-commissioned 30-minute film is the central element of the Crimes against humanity exhibition which examines the theme of genocide and ethnic conflict - looking at some of the common features shared by the horrendous bloodshed in Armenia, Nazi-occupied Europe, Cambodia, East Timor, Bosnia, Rwanda and elsewhere.
Secret War
The Secret War exhibition reveals the clandestine world of espionage, covert operations, and the work of Britain's special forces. It shows how Britain's secret government agencies, MI5 and MI6, have developed since their establishment before the First World War, and how specialist communications technology has been used to gather intelligence and break top-secret codes.
The Art Galleries
The two suites of galleries on the second floor are used for long-term exhibitions of First and Second World War works of art from the Museum's collection. The displays are changed at regular intervals.
Victoria Cross and George Cross Gallery
The Victoria Cross and George Cross room houses the Museum's collections of these supreme awards for military and civil gallantry. The centrepiece of the display is the 13-pounder 'Nery' gun and the three VC's won by its crew during the Battle of Mons.
Monty: Master of the Battlefield
Opened to coincide with the sixtieth anniversary of the Battle of El Alamein, this permanent exhibition documents the life and career of Field Marshal Montgomery, one of the great battlefield commanders of the Second World War.