Until 1930 home to the infamous Bedlam mental asylum (to which Charlie Chaplin's mother was confined), 
this domed building is now home to the UK's largest military museum.
Despite the name, it is not all a "yahoo" celebration of Empire, indeed the sophisticated exhibits and excellent paintings convey the horror, fear and confusion inflicted during conflict.
The museum is fortunate to have a wide range of exhibits. Many examples of the equipment of war can be found inside the museum including tanks, guns and aeroplanes. The collection includes many weapons used against British and Commonwealth troops in the various conflicts.
The two world wars are widely represented. The museum includes a walk through recreation of a front line trench at The Somme in 1916 and a blitzed London street from 1940. The concentration camps of World War Two are remembered in the exhibition 'Belsen 1945'. The exhibition concentrates on the relief effort after the camp was relieved in April 1945. It looks at the horrendous conditions the liberators found, and the remarkable operation that helped save the lives of many of the 45 000 inmates. There is also a gallery dedicated to the world of secret warfare, from 1914 to today. It covers both espionage and the work of the SAS and the other special forces. The museum also houses a major collection of works of art from the two world wars.
Information taken from http://www.southwark.gov.uk/tourism/attractions/imperial_war_museum/index.htm and http://www.londonnet.co.uk/ln/guide/about/museumsimpw.html