Lascaris War Rooms

Deep beneath the gardens and bastions of Valletta, a maze of tunnels and chambers once directed the defence of Malta. The Lascaris War Rooms are now a museum, and for anyone interested in the Second World War they are one of the most atmospheric places in the Mediterranean. Visiting means going down into the same corridors and control rooms where officers followed the air raids and coordinated the island's response.

The museum is run by Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna, a voluntary organisation that cares for several wartime sites around Malta. It is listed in our directory of museums in Malta and sits right by the viewpoint described in our Upper Barrakka Gardens guide.

The history of the War Rooms

The complex lies about 150 feet below the Upper Barrakka Gardens and the Saluting Battery. It housed Britain's war headquarters in Malta, from which the defence of the island was directed and offensive operations across the Mediterranean were managed. There were separate operations rooms for each of the fighting services, including the RAF Sector Fighter Control Room, a Filter Room through which radar information was sifted, an Anti-aircraft Gun Operations Room and a Combined Operations room. A heavily guarded section held the encryption machines used for secret communications. The ventilation system, one of the original features, still works.

In July 1943 General Eisenhower used the rooms, together with Admiral Cunningham, Field Marshal Montgomery and Air Marshal Tedder, as an advance Allied headquarters for the invasion of Sicily. After the war the site became the Mediterranean Fleet headquarters, and in 1967 NATO took it over as a communications centre for tracking Soviet submarines. That role lasted ten years. The rooms also featured in the Suez Crisis of 1956 and in the days of the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962.

Restoration began in 2009, led by volunteers from the Malta Heritage Trust, who have spent countless hours returning the complex to its former state. The site is twinned with RAF Northolt in Middlesex, which preserves Building 27, a former Z sector operations block and the prototype of the Dowding System, the first system of its kind in the world for coordinating the interception of enemy aircraft. That building, together with a hangar that once housed Churchill's personal aircraft, is a Grade II listed site, so British visitors will find a real link between this Maltese bunker and a well-known corner of the RAF's own history.

Who the visit suits

The War Rooms suit anyone with an interest in the war, in radar and air defence, or in how a small island became a base for a great campaign. Because most of the visit is underground and out of the sun, it also works well on a very hot or a wet day. Older children who enjoy history tend to find the control rooms and the audio-visual room engaging, while younger ones may prefer shorter stays because of the steps, narrow corridors and low light.

Allow at least an hour inside, and longer if you like to read every display. Pairing it with the Saluting Battery above ground and the viewpoint over Grand Harbour makes a satisfying half day in the capital.

Operation Husky exhibition and tanks

A newer attraction inside the War Rooms covers Operation Husky, the invasion of Sicily in 1943. Spread over two levels and 800 square metres, it follows the end of the Desert War and the Casablanca Conference, the deception plans that kept Axis attention elsewhere, the defences of Sicily and the forces on each side. A special audio-visual room recreates the landings hour by hour, with commentary, sound and original archive film.

The exhibition explains why Malta mattered: the invasion was launched and directed from the island, which also acted as a giant aircraft carrier supplying fighter cover. It tells the story of Malta's own 231st Independent Infantry Brigade, includes hundreds of original uniforms, weapons, documents and equipment, and covers the suffering of Sicilian civilians and the aftermath, from the arrest of Mussolini to the signing of the Armistice aboard HMS Nelson in Grand Harbour.

The Malta Heritage Trust has also acquired two original wartime tanks, a Matilda and an M3 Stuart, for a military vehicles display connected to the War Rooms, funded through donations.

Tickets, passes and tours

Booking online is the cheapest and quickest route, and print-at-home tickets work on a phone or on paper. Payment on site is by card only. Adult admission is €20, seniors aged 60 and over pay €19 with valid ID, children aged 5 to 15 pay €7, and a family of two adults and three children pays €40. Members enter free. Admission is valid for one day, and you can leave and return on the same day.

Guided tours at 10:30 and 12:30 cost an extra €5 for visitors aged 16 and over, and children under 16 join for free. Guided tour tickets can only be bought on site. A separate War H.Q. Tunnel Tour, which starts at the Saluting Battery, costs €17 for adults and €7 for children, and explores the wartime headquarters tunnels that were later used by NATO.

If you plan to see several wartime sites, the Heritage Pass costs €50 for an individual or €95 for a family and lasts a week from first use. It covers the Lascaris War Rooms, the Saluting Battery, the War H.Q. Tunnels, the Malta Time Gun museum, Malta at War Museum, Fort Rinella, St Peter's Galleries and St Thomas Tower, saving 40 per cent compared with buying separately.

Facilities and practical tips

Free audio guides are available in English, Italian, German, Spanish and French, and there are free lockers and free Wi-Fi. Large bags and backpacks are not allowed inside, so use the lockers. Fully accessible toilets, baby changing facilities and child-friendly food at the cafes are provided.

The site is a scheduled monument with steps, different surfaces and some low light, so wear comfortable shoes and give your eyes time to adjust. Parts of the War Rooms are not suitable for pushchairs because space is limited, so pushchairs can be left in the lobby. Photography is welcome in most areas, though flash is not allowed in the galleries, and tripods and selfie sticks need prior permission. Dress respectfully, as families are often present.

Getting there and planning your day

The War Rooms are at Lascaris Ditch in Valletta, VLT 2000. Take any bus to Valletta, then walk from Castille Place or from the Upper Barrakka Gardens through the steps in Battery Street, or from the bus station via Ganado Gardens. You can also enter the Saluting Battery through the Upper Barrakka Gardens, buy a ticket there and ask for directions.

The visit combines well with the rest of the capital. Our Valletta guide shows the sights around it, and St John's Co-Cathedral is within walking distance. Across the harbour you can reach the wartime shelters at Vittoriosa, which our Three Cities guide and Vittoriosa guide explain, and the order that built the fortifications features in our Knights of Malta guide. For other ideas see our page on things to do in Malta, and if you need a base, our hotels in Valletta page lists places to stay.

Hot afternoons are a good time to go underground; the Malta weather guide explains the seasons.

Groups, schools and support

Groups of ten or more can pre-book for reduced admission and pay at the gate, and meal deals and audio guide discounts are available subject to availability. Schools can arrange discounted entry with on-site supervision. A shop sells souvenirs, gifts, jewellery and clothing. If you have documents, photographs or memorabilia relating to the sites, the foundation asks that they are sent to its postal address in Vittoriosa rather than handed to staff at the site, to avoid loss or damage, and it issues a written receipt and a free pass for donations.

The foundation relies on donations, membership and volunteers. Members enjoy free access to all of its attractions throughout the year. People who served at the War Rooms during the Second World War or the Cold War are invited to share their memories. To ask about tickets, tours or group visits, use the VisitMalta.co.uk enquiry form on this page and we will pass your message to the team.