From bobbleheads to bottlecaps, there is plenty to love in Fallout 4, but nothing’s more iconic than Vaults. These are all the Vault locations in the game and what to expect when you get to them.
Vaults in Fallout were originally designed to protect portions of humanity when the seemingly inevitable nuclear war finally arrived. Created by Vault-Tec, they can be found scattered all across the map in Fallout 4 and most of the other games in the series.
As you travel through the Wasteland in Fallout 4, completing quests and meeting companions, discovering Vaults is one of the most exciting aspects of the game. This is where you can find them all.
Contents
- Vault 111 location and history
- Vault 81 location and history
- Vault 75 location and history
- Vault 95 location and history
- Vault 114 location and history
- Vault 88 location and history
- Vault 118 location and history
Vault 111 Location in Fallout 4
Vault 111 is found in the far North-West of the map, just a short trip up the road from Sanctuary Hills. As the centerpiece Vault of Fallout 4, this is where the player character and their family go to take shelter when the bombs drop.
The Vault itself plays a significant role in setting up the story, though it’s not as downright nefarious as many other Vault-Tec creations. Their propensity to mislead the inhabitants indirectly leads to the death of the player’s partner and the subsequent kidnapping of their child.
After just making it inside before a nuclear strike levels the surrounding area, the player’s family is provided with Vault suits and told to step inside “decontamination pods”. The pods are actually cryogenic chambers designed to freeze the population until Vault-Tec deems the outside world safe and gives the all-clear (originally predicted to be 180 days).
The signal never arrived, and there was an eventual mutiny by the security forces against the scientists. What happened in the end is unclear, but some certainly died in the skirmish.
The big find to look out for once you wake up in the Vault is the Cryolator weapon in the Overseer’s office. Though behind a master lock, it is possible to get early in the game.
Simply head over to the Red Rocket settlement and collect Dogmeat as a companion, then head back to the office and ask him to look for useful items. He can (somehow) get the gun out of the cabinet with no fuss.
Vault 81 Location in Fallout 4
Vault 81 is located directly South of the Oberland Station settlement, nestled amongst a small cliff face. Look for the large cave-like opening and the Vault is just inside.
It’s a bit of an anomaly in Fallout 4, as the last remaining functioning shelter that the game makes the player aware of.
Vault-Tec devised Vault 81 as a location for human experimentation, with the express purpose of devising a cure for every ailment that can afflict the species. In a rare display of humanity, that’s not quite how it played out.
Upon discovering its true purpose, the first Overseer, Dr. Olivette, decided to expose the company’s plans. When she found out that the government was well aware and had given its approval, she chose to temper its worst elements instead.
She stopped her team from infecting the Vault’s inhabitants with all manner of illnesses but was still successful in developing the cure-all. She sealed the other three scientists in a secret part of the Vault with plentiful supplies, to prevent them from achieving Vault-Tec’s goals.
In the present day, the Vault features a memorable questline in which a Mole Rat bite leads to one inhabitant becoming infected. This eventually culminates in the player having to decide between mercy and selfishness. Overall, it’s one of the most interesting and narratively rich places to visit in the Commonwealth.
The robot companion Curie is found here, as well as plenty of collectibles and useful items. The secret vault also contains the Medicine bobblehead, for those looking to complete their collection.
Vault 75 Location in Fallout 4
Vault 75 can be found underneath the partially destroyed Malden Middle School, just southwest of the Greentop Nursery Settlement. Most of the entrances to the school are blocked off, so head to the collapsed part of the wall and look to the left. A door to the basement provides a direct route to the Vault entrance.
Of all the known Vaults in Fallout 4, Vault 75 is perhaps the most disturbing in nature. Deliberately built beneath a school, it was pitched to the public as a safe place for children in the area to shelter with their families when the seemingly inevitable nuclear war finally arrived. In actuality, it was designed to facilitate child experimentation.
Entire families and the local school teachers arrived safely within the Vault but were immediately separated by security staff. The children were taken to the Atrium, while the adults were not so fortunate, and instead taken to a room and executed.
From there, years of scientific tests designed to perfect the human genome began. The children were taught to fear the outside world and told they would be trained to make their situation more tenable once the Vault opened and they were allowed to leave.
Unfortunately, this was a ruse, and the scientists had no intention of releasing anyone. The strongest and most intelligent children were “harvested” for their genetic codes on their 18th birthday, while the unremarkable were simply killed when they reached adulthood.
Vault 95 Location in Fallout 4
Vault 95 is found almost directly South of the Edge of the Glowing Sea map marker. Simply follow the road down and look for the immense structure built into a huge concrete bunker. The Vault has a heavy Gunner presence, and there are plenty of Assaultrons around, so make sure to come prepared for a fight.
Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates on Esports, Gaming and more.
Vault 95 was designed to house those actively suffering from chem addictions. A genuine recovery program was put in place, and residents were expected to follow and stay sober, which, for the most part, they did.
Some five years in, Vault-Tec’s true plan was revealed. A representative of the company disguised as a resident waited for the others to go to sleep before revealing a hidden stash of drugs. Upon learning of this, many immediately returned to their old ways while others tried to stop them, which resulted in immense violence.
Some even realized that this had been intentional, but, by that point, it was too late. The experiment is particularly sad as the Vault-Tec employee notes how successful the program was and how many were well-adjusted to life underground.
The Big Guns bobblehead can be found here, on top of the radio in the living quarters. There is also a Stealth Boy in the storage room, behind the door with the Advanced lock.
Vault 114 Location in Fallout 4
Vault 114 is found directly underneath Park Street Station, following a relatively short journey through the tunnels. The entire area is protected by mafia-style Triggermen, who will shoot on sight, though they are relatively easy to dispatch, even in the early game.
Vault 114 was offered to the great and the good of Boston society as a safe and luxurious place to bring their families. Unfortunately for them, this affluence was exaggerated and most families lived in single-room apartments together.
In a bizarre twist, Vault-Tec began searching for an Overseer with a significant anti-authority bias to rule over the formerly powerful. Eventually, they settled on a homeless man known as Soup Can Harry.
Everyone who worked at the Vault was instructed to follow Harry’s instructions to the letter, even if it made them uncomfortable or caused direct issues with the residents. The idea was that Vault-Tec would observe how the previously wealthy and influential handled being bossed around by someone of Harry’s status.
In the present day, the Vault has been taken over by Skinny Malone and his gang of well-dressed criminals with Tommy guns. In the main story, it is also the site where Nick Valentine is being held captive, just waiting for the player to rescue him.
Vault 88 Location in Fallout 4 (Vault-Tec Workshop DLC)
Vault 88 is located southeast of the flooded Hyde Park area that was added to the game as part of the Vault-Tec Workshop DLC. Access is limited to a small passage inside the Quincy Quarries, which is protected by some particularly hardy raiders. Kill them, go inside, then use the Pip-Boy to open the Vault.
Vault 88 was still being built when the first bombs started to drop across the United States. The Vault was sealed to protect those who were inside. Its unfinished state was enough to protect them from explosive damage, but radiation soon began to leak in.
Those trapped inside soon became Feral Ghouls aside from the Overseer, who, despite being Ghoulified, retained her mental faculties by focusing on Vault-Tec’s plans for the shelter. She was never saved but the player offers her a chance to start pursuing her goals.
The original intention for Vault 88 was as a test bed for a variety of new devices. These would then be distributed to other Vaults once they were perfected. The Overseer is keen to attract new residents and begin tests on them, so it’s up to the player to decide how much they support this pursuit.
Vault 118 Location in Fallout 4 (Far Harbor DLC)
Vault 118 was added to Fallout 4 in the Far Harbor DLC, to gain access you need to head west from Far Harbor itself until you arrive at the Cliff’s Edge Hotel.
After going through the main entrance, head right and work your way up to the very top of the hotel. From there, travel back across the width of the hotel and move down the stairs. Some strong Ghoul variants make the whole journey more difficult, so make sure you’ve got a good weapon on hand.
Once you reach a corridor featuring a Glowing One and several other Ghouls, track down the only working elevator and head down to the lowest levels. Walk straight ahead, and you’ll arrive at the entrance to Vault 118.
Like Vault 88, Vault 118 is unfinished and was offered to the public as an ultra-luxurious solution to life underground. This was to ensure that the residents they attracted were of particularly notable status, privilege, and wealth.
This was because Vault-Tec had intended to divide the Vault into two wings. The first would cater to the whims of ten wealthy guests, while the second would provide cramped living quarters for 300 people from working-class areas. The purpose was to allow the wealthy to make the rules and decide punishments for infringements, with an army of robots programmed to carry out their collective will.
This was never realized, however, as funding issues quickly stopped production after the first wing was completed. When the bombs eventually dropped, the Vault was sealed with only the Overseer inside.
The Brain Dead quest naturally brings players to this vault in the game after Pearl or Maxwell contracts the Sole Survivor to investigate a recent murder.
Best Build for Survival Mode in Fallout 4 | Fallout New Vegas console commands | Best Fallout 4 mods 2024: PC, PlayStation & Xbox | All Fallout game Easter eggs in Prime series
