Imperial War Museum

Antique guns, tanks, aircraft and artillery are parked in the main hall of this imposing edifice, built in 1814 as a lunatic asylum (the Bethlehem Royal Hospital, aka Bedlam). After the inmates were moved out in 1930, the central block became the war museum, only to be damaged by World War II air raids. Today, the museum gives the history of armed conflict, especially involving Britain and the Commonwealth, from World War I to today.

Moving on from the more gung-ho exhibits on the ground floor, there are extensive galleries devoted to the two World Wars. The museum's tone darkens as you ascend. On the third floor, the Holocaust Exhibition (not recommended for under-14s) traces the history of European anti-Semitism and its nadir in the concentration camps. Upstairs, Crimes Against Humanity (unsuitable for under-16s) is a minimalist space in which a film exploring contemporary genocide and ethnic violence rolls relentlessly.

There is also the world's largest collection of Victoria Crosses (displayed from autumn 2010) and excellent, long-running temporary exhibitions that are suitable for children: 'Outbreak 1939', looking at ordinary lives as Britain declares war, runs to 6 Sept 2011, while 'Children's War', exploring the Home Front from a child's viewpoint using letters, recordings and a reconstructed 1940s house, will be here until 29 Feb 2012.