International Bomber Command Centre — Attraction in North Kesteven

This is a true masterpiece of an attraction and provides a lovely moving magnificent tribute to those who served in Bomber Command during World War Two. There are several things to see at the Centre all of which are very moving, thought provoking and amazing tribute to those who served in Bomber Command and the main features at the Centre are The Chadwick Centre, The Wall of Names, Peace Gardens & The Spire. The Spire is a steel memorial Spire which lies at the hear of the site and is joined by the Wall of Names which runs around the edge. The Spire is an impressive iconic structure and a lovely fitting tributes to those who served in Bomber Command and across from the Spire you can enjoy spectacular views of the city of Lincoln and it's iconic Cathedral and the Cathedral was a sighting point for flying crews flying from Lincolnshire. The height and width of the Spire is also based on the Wingspan of the Lancaster Bomber making it another excellent tribute to Lincolnshire and it's aviation history. The Wall of Names is a collection of Steel sheets that surrounds the memorial Spire and is a lovely moving tribute to 58,000 men and women who lost their lives during World War Two when serving for Bomber Command and the Wall of Names lists some of the names of those who fought valiantly and selflessly for Bomber Command during World War Two. Whilst you are in the area of The Wall of Names it feels very peaceful and seeing the names listed gives you a moment of reflection of the current time and to those who bravely lost their lives during their service in Bomber Command and enabled victory in World War Two and the following generations of people to have the way of life we have today. The Wall of Names is also a wonderful fitting tribute to those who served in Bomber Command and the Wall of Names at the Bomber Command is the only place in the World where the lives of people who died whilst serving for Bomber Command are commemorated. The Wall of Names consists of 23 walls in total and the names listed are represented from 45 Nations worldwide. The Peace Gardens are quiet contemplative place for people to remember those who served in Bomber Command and the Peace Gardens are divided into two Gardens which are the Lincolnshire Peace Garden and The International Peace Garden. The Lincolnshire Peace Garden has 27 native lime trees which mark each of the Operational Bomber Command stations in the county of Lincolnshire. There are location markers at the Base of each tree that identify the stations, the squadrons that served and the number of losses and the Lincolnshire Peace Garden is the host of the Ribbon of Remembrance. The International Peace Garden is the larger of the two Gardens and pays a lovely tribute to the 62 nations from 5 continents who served and supported Bomber Command during the Second World War and also includes the Jubilee Grove which is a nice space for a private quiet moment. There are some informative information panels detailing information about the different nations around the world who served in Bomber Command and their contribution to the War Effort. In the Peace Garden you can see a Dig for Victory Garden and an interesting display about how these gardens came about and you can also an example of an Andersen Shelter, which is marvellously displayed and there is an interesting display panel about how Andersen Shelters came about and the conditions inside them. The Chadwick Centre is the large building at the entrance to the site and houses an interesting informative exhibition about Bomber Command, The Hub Cafe and Shop. The exhibition is a wonderful exhibition about Bomber Command over two floors where the ground floor has some interesting displays about why the bombing took place, the opposition to it and also the politics along with some interesting panels about the stages of a bombing raid before and after giving an idea of how they were conducted, the risks involved and how people involved felt in the aftermath. Overall a brilliant and unforgettable place to visit and makes for a...

The IBCC is a fantastic memorial to those who served and gave their lives in Bomber Command. The gardens, spire and plaques with the names who lost their lives are all free to visit. Car parking is £3 or you can walk up to the site from Lincoln in around 25-30 minutes, either up beside the busy main road or cutting across the green which is rather muddy - however the direct access to the IBCC site is annoyingly closed (as they say path slippery!), so you end up walking the final stretch alongside the road in any case with another gate into the car park (by the bus stop). I also attended an evening talk with an included buffet meal on the Great Escape which was excellent. I visited the exhibition which is well worth going into with plenty of recorded stories, films, photos and an interactive "raid" where you get to play at being crew members (presumably aimed at kids but I enjoyed it). At the front desk to buy my entrance ticket to the exhibition I got a bit of strange reaction from reception along the lines of "oh you want to go into the exhibition?" - err yes I do! Anyway I managed to buy a ticket to enter but annoyingly she didn't tell me that I could have bought an annual ticket for the same price plus that I could have gift aided it. (NB. You get a £1 off if pre-booking on the web). She did mention the free tour about to start led by a volunteer but I'd already had a good look round outside so didn't take this up. The café, food and staff are excellent - I really recommend the Full English breakfast - served to 3pm.

All in all a great memorial and very moving to read all the...

Fantastic! I spent 3 hours there, just taking it all in. Great perspective as it was both personal stories and fact filled videos. The staff are amazing, I enjoyed a guided tour aswell (free!!) Which was lovely because the staff explain in depth whilst taking you around the exhibits. I could not recommend the tour more. The gift shop offers something for everyone! Children, adults, and even those difficult to buy for. I spent an additional 45 minutes in the gift shop after the 3 hours. The cafe was amazing! Huge portions at good prices. I loved the drink selection as it included a dandelion and burdock drink (my fave) which is hard to find where I'm from. The outside area was beautiful! I loved the attention to detail and the spire was massive! I could still see it standing all the way from the arboretum! Walking around and looking at all the names was good. Found some popular last names. The bathrooms inside were great! Clean, spacious and smelled great! The doors were big and the walls also aided in making the cubicles feel private (the walls went all the way to the floor). I want to finish my review by again acknowledging the amazing staff. They were all joyful and seemed happy.to be there and help out. Felt like family. I hope this review encourages you to come out here. Bought My tickets in person and it was super easy. Love this place and wish I could come back ❤️ (love from...