The Imperial War Museum is a fantastic way for young and old to learn about the experiences of the first and second world wars, as well as conflicts since 1945.

Cleverly combining galleries and hands-on experiences, the London museum is a favourite with school children, taking visitors on a chronological journey through the wars which dominated the first half of the 20th century.

Little boys will be especially transfixed by the large exhibits gallery, which is home to a massive range of weapons and vehicles from wars gone by.

A highlight for many is the Blitz Experience, a reconstruction of an air raid shelter, which visitors can sit in as it shakes through the alarm, then exit into a replica 1940 blitzed street.

The museum also houses a Holocaust exhibition, which sensitively displays numerous artefacts and pieces of information about the concentration camps.

And an informative gallery contains information about wars since 1945, taking visits through more recent conflicts such as those in the Falklands and Bosnia.

There are two more branches of the Imperial War Museum in the UK - the Imperial War Museum North which opened in Manchester in 2002 and the Imperial War Museum Duxford, which displays aircraft from battles.