Besides transporting the Doctor from place to place in space and time, the TARDIS from Doctor Who also contained dozens of rooms and other amenities. Debuting in Doctor Who‘s very first serial in 1963, the TARDIS was a large part of the magic of the series, and the show’s reputation grew until it became a cultural phenomenon. No matter which Doctor or which companions were out exploring the cosmos, the TARDIS was the one constant that united all eras of the series, and yet it changed all the time. A ship with endless potential, the TARDIS contained multitudes that were only limited by the creativity of the show’s creators.
Standing for ‘Time And Relative Dimensions In Space,’ the TARDIS was how the Doctor traveled, and yet, the Gallifreyan technology also had a personality of its own. The biggest changes to the TARDIS’ exterior were relatively small and mostly cosmetic, but the inside of the blue police box seemed to change with nearly every Doctor that stepped foot in it. So much more than a spaceship, the TARDIS was bigger on the inside which allowed for almost any type of room to be added and subtracted at the whim of the Doctor.
Control Room
Making its first appearance in the season 1 serial An Unearthly Child in 1963, the control room was the first part of the interior of the TARDIS that fans ever saw. Living up to its name, the control room was where the navigational panel was located, and thus where the TARDIS was “controlled” by the pilot. Even if the Doctor was often at the whim of the TARDIS and not the other way around, the control room was the main room in all of Doctor Who‘s TARDIS designs. Although the TARDIS also contained unfathomable amounts of other rooms, the bulk of the series played out in the control room.
The Library
Even though the TARDIS library was an important part of the ship in prose, comics, and audio dramas, it didn’t make its first appearance onscreen until DW, season 7, episode 10, “Journey to the Center of the TARDIS”. Like the rest of the TARDIS, the library was appropriately massive and known to change as much as the control room in shape, size, and design. It contained countless volumes from across the universe, but in its sole appearance on TV it was used as a hiding place for Clara when she was evading the zombies.
Bedrooms
Considering the fact that the Doctor and his companions were often away from Earth for long stretches of time, the TARDIS also contained sleeping accommodations. While many early Doctor Who episodes went missing, the season 1 serial Edge of Destruction remained intact and was the first time that a bedroom was ever shown on-screen. The rooms varied from sparse bunk-style barracks that housed several companions, to veritable master bedrooms for guests, and it was hinted that every companion had their own room at one point. In DW, season 6, episode 4, “The Doctor’s Wife”, the Doctor was asked if he had a room, but he didn’t answer.
Wardrobes
Clothing was always a large part of the Doctor’s personality, and their extensive fashion sense came from the TARDIS’ massive wardrobe. First seen in the season 2 serial The Web Planet, the wardrobe was packed to the brim with different clothes and would accumulate more with each new incarnation of the Doctor. Many of the Doctor’s best outfits came from the wardrobe within the TARDIS, and in the season 12 serial Robot, the Fourth Doctor was shown trying on several combinations before he got it right. The TARDIS contained more than one wardrobe besides the main one and even had a boot cupboard just for the Doctor’s shoes.
Cloister Room
Most notable for containing the cloister bell, the cloister room was an obscure corner of the TARDIS that had an ancient design style. Debuting in the season 18 serial Logopolis, the cloister room was visited by the Fourth Doctor shortly before he regenerated. The large space contained benches and stone pillars and was the home of the cloister bell (which rang when the TARDIS was in danger). As the Eighth Doctor reacted to his regeneration, he also visited the cloister room, and the bell itself was seen for the first time in the 1996 Doctor Who TV movie.
Swimming Pool
Perhaps one of the strangest inclusions in the TARDIS was the infamous swimming pool that debuted in the season 15 serial The Invasion of Time. A favorite of the Doctor and companions alike, the pool was often more trouble than it was worth and had to be jettisoned by the Seventh Doctor in the season 24 serial Paradise Towers. When the Eleventh Doctor met Amy Pond in the year 1996, he was wet because he had fallen in during DW, season 5, episode 1, “The Eleventh Hour”. Like other rooms, the pool was capable of moving, and in the same episode, the Doctor claimed he didn’t know where it was.
Zero Room
Although it only appeared once onscreen, the Doctor’s zero room aboard the TARDIS was crucial. Every Doctor in Doctor Who struggled with their regeneration in some way or another, but the zero room allowed the Doctor to speed up his healing process in the season 19 serial Castrovalva. The room itself was separated from time and space, and that allowed Time Lords to recover from injuries or illness much faster than they normally would. The room looked very much like the TARDIS control room and featured recognizable circles on the walls and bright white lighting.
Power Room
The science of the TARDIS was always left vague, and exactly how the ship was powered was never fully explained. Even so, the TARDIS contained a power room which was where the ship drew its energy, and it was shown in the season 6 serial The Mind Robber and looked a lot like the Second Doctor’s TARDIS console room. Though it was more fleshed out in the prose, the Second Doctor visited the power room in the aforementioned serial, and was able to fix the TARDIS after it had popped out of reality.
Botanical House
Most stories from Doctor Who take place on strange planets and in distant times, but the season 15 serial The Invasion of Time allowed viewers to see more of the insides of the famous TARDIS. The ship’s botanical house was featured prominently in the story, and like most botanical gardens its contained a wealth of flora from all across the universe. In the serial, a Sontaran met his unfortunate end when one of th Doctor’s planet specimens gobbled him up. The exact side of the botanical house was unknown, but it was certainly one of the largest spaces within the TARDIS.
Art Gallery
Every Doctor was known for their eccentricity, so it wasn’t entirely out of the ordinary for the TARDIS to have an art gallery hidden away somewhere. However, the Fourth Doctor’s art gallery actually had a secret purpose that was revealed in the season 15 serial The Invasion of Time. When the Sontarans invaded the TARDIS and began shutting its power down, they located an ancillary power station that was disguised as an art gallery. It was shown to feature famous works like the Venus de Milo, though the art all disappeared when the Sontarans turned off the power.
Architectural Reconfiguration System
As the name suggested, the TARDIS’ architectural reconfiguration system was what allowed the ship to restructure itself and accommodate more rooms. It was only shown in one of the Eleventh Doctor’s best moments during DW, season 7, episode 10, “Journey to the Center of the TARDIS” and it had the aspect of a large tree with long dangling branches. Attached to the ends of the branches were glowing orbs, and when Gregor detached one, the TARDIS went into self-defense mode and trapped its inhabitants in a time loop.
Eye Of Harmony
In Classic Doctor Who, the Eye of Harmony was an important artifact to the Time Lords and was a contained star that was so massive that it existed outside of time and space. As revealed in DW, season 7, episode 10, “Journey to the Center of the TARDIS”, the Eye had somehow found its way onto the TARDIS, and was used to power the ship. Many of the Doctor Who regeneration origin myths had something to do with the eye, and on the TARDIS, it appeared like a miniature sun floating in the void of space.
The Observatory
Though it only appeared for a brief moment in DW, season 7, episode 10, “Journey to the Center of the TARDIS”, the ship was shown to contain its very own observatory. Complete with a massive telescope, the observatory featured a large glass dome that allowed for a full view of the stars. No one was ever seen using the telescope, and its actual usefulness could be called into question considering all the other high-tech gadgetry of Doctor Who contained within the TARDIS.
Other Rooms Mentioned In The Show, Books, Comics, Games, And Audio Dramas
-
Sickbay
:
An infirmary with various medical supplies mentioned in season 15 serial
The Invasion of Time
. -
Garage:
A place where the Doctor stores various vehicles mentioned in season 2, episode 7, “The Idiot’s Lantern”. -
Kitchen:
An area for cooking and food storage mentioned in season 1, episode 9, “The Empty Child”.
-
Holding Ring:
An area of the TARDIS where old rooms are stored mentioned in the audio drama
Relative Dimensions
. -
Laundry Room:
An area for washing clothes mentioned in the audio drama
The One Doctor. -
Park:
A large green space within the TARDIS for relaxation mentioned in the short story
Keeping up with the Joneses
. -
Aquarium:
An area for fish specimens mentioned in the short story
Keeping up with the Joneses
. -
Butterfly Room:
A room for keeping butterflies mentioned in the novel
Vampire Science
. -
Zoo:
A place for keeping animals mentioned in the short story
Echo
. -
Cricket Pitches
:
A large playing field for the game cricket mentioned in the audio drama
No Place Like Home
. -
Tool Shed:
A place for storing tools mentioned in the comic
Sky Jacks
. -
Italian Bistro:
A small restaurant mentioned in the comic
Sky Jacks
.
-
Bathrooms:
The TARDIS contained at least 14 bathrooms mentioned in the novel
The Well-Mannered War
. -
Spa And Sauna:
A place for steam baths and relaxation mentioned in the novel
Shroud of Sorrow
. -
Drawing Room:
A private office for the Doctor mentioned in the comic
Four Doctors
. -
Sun Room:
A place for lounging mentioned in the video game
TARDIS
. -
Scullery Room:
A room that was deleted by the Doctor in season 6, episode 4, “The Doctor’s Wife”. -
Gymnasium:
A room used for exercise mentioned in the video game
Eternity Clock
. -
Squash Courts:
A place for playing the sport squash mentioned in season 6, episode 4, “The Doctor’s Wife”. -
Workrooms And Workshops:
A place for working on various mechanical projects mentioned in the novel
Shroud of Sorrow
. -
Wine Cellar:
A place for storing vintage wines mentioned in the audio drama
The Haunting of Thomas Brewster
.
-
Croquet Courts:
A space for playing the game croquet mentioned in the audio drama
Caerdroia. -
Art Studio:
A space for making art projects mentioned in the comic
Music of the Spherions
. -
TV Room:
A place for watching television mentioned in the short story
Turnabout is Fair Play
. -
Games Room:
A space for playing various games mentioned in the audio drama
The Man Who Wasn’t There
. -
Theater:
A space for putting on plays mentioned in the audio drama
Mel-evolent
. -
Water Slides:
A recreational activity mentioned in season 12, episode 1, “Spyfall”. -
Boating Lakes
:
Large bodies of water designed for sailing mentioned in season 12, episode 1, “Spyfall”. -
Rainforest:
A environmental biome that contains many tropical species mentioned in season 12, episode 1, “Spyfall”. -
Karaoke Buses:
A place for singing popular songs mentioned in season 12, episode 1, “Spyfall”.
-
Jigsaw Room:
A room designed to show the occupant possible outcomes of going outside mentioned in the novel
Scratchman
. -
River Song’s Dressing Room:
A clothing room only for River Song mentioned in the audio drama
Precious Annihilation. -
Various Store Rooms:
The TARDIS on
Doctor Who
had hundreds of storerooms, which contained items such as LEGOS, snowglobes, and artifacts of previous companions.