One of the most important recurring structures found in the Fallout games are Vaults: gigantic subterranean bunkers designed to house dozens to hundreds of people and protect them from the fallout of nuclear warfare. These underground colonies were built by the Vault-Tec corporation to last a tremendously long time, however, not all of them were the sanctuaries that they were made out to be.

There are five Vaults in the base version of Fallout 4, with two more later being added as part of the game's Far Harbor and Vault-Tec Workshop DLC expansions. These structures are always loaded with loot, quests, and interesting characters, so they are definitely worth seeking out and delving into, even if they sometimes house strange and deadly enemies.

Updated April 16, 2024, by Tom Bowen: Finding and exploring all of the Fallout 4 vaults may not be mandatory, but doing so is well worth the player's time and effort. In addition to being full to the brim with fantastic loot, Fallout 4 vaults do an excellent job of further fleshing out the game's world, providing players with a bunch of additional lore that can't be found elsewhere. The following guide explains how to find every vault in Fallout 4 and what exactly players can expect to discover once they do.

How to Find Vault 111 in Fallout 4 (Vault 111 Location)

Players are sure to be familiar with this Vault, as it is the place where they and their family sought refuge as the bombs began to fall. However, it turned out that Vault 111 was a site for Vault-Tec's cryostasis experiment, which meant the freezing of all the inhabitants, including the player.

That is until a mercenary enters the picture to kidnap the player's child, murder their spouse, and catalyze the main quest of the game. Vault 111 is located just northwest of the Sanctuary settlement, the first upgradable location in the game and where the player will call home until they decide to build their house elsewhere.

How to Find Vault 75 in Fallout 4 (Vault 75 Location)

Another prime example of why to never trust a huge corporation like Vault-Tec, Vault 75 turned out to be a place of torture and murder more than a shelter to protect people. According to the information that the player can find while inside, this Vault's staff executed the adult dwellers inside soon after it was sealed and then began experimenting on the now orphaned children to see if they could be twisted into becoming creatures that could survive in a nuclear wasteland.

Now, though, nothing remains of the staff or the children, and this vault is occupied by members of the Gunners gang. To find this macabre underground laboratory and explore it for themselves, players should head southeast from Lake Quannapowitt until they find the location known as Malden Middle School. In the basement of the school, the Sole Survivor will find an open entrance leading to an elevator that descends into Vault 75.

How to Find Vault 81 in Fallout 4 (Vault 81 Location)

Like Vault 75 and many others, Vault 81 was set up so that Vault-Tec could experiment on people without repercussions. However, the original Overseer of this one was significantly less cruel than most others possessing this job title. Vault 81 was supposed to research horrible diseases by infecting people against their will, but the original Overseer disabled the equipment meant to do this and turned this Vault into a true place of shelter for the dwellers within.

As the Sole Survivor enters this location, they'll notice the open and healthy community that is a far cry from most Vaults. Players can find Vault 81 by traveling southeast from Fort Hagen. Vault 81 is north of Coast Guard Pier, though, as they approach the entrance, players will need 3 Fusion Cores to complete a short quest or pass a difficult Speech check to enter.

How to Find Vault 95 in Fallout 4 (Vault 95 Location)

When activated, Vault 95 was home to many people trying to get over their addictions to various illegal drugs, in addition to a Vault-Tec employee disguised as one. After five years, they had all cleaned themselves up and were happy and drug-free. Then, out of nowhere, the undercover Vault-Tec employee revealed a hidden stash of drugs.

This led to the inhabitants falling back into addiction, with many ending up killing themselves and each other. By the time the Sole Survivor discovers Vault 95, it has become yet another den for the Gunners gang. This Vault will be pretty easy to find, as the entrance is within the side of a cliff and has scaffolding adorning its exposed bits. It's to the northeast of the Capsized Factory, southeast of the Edge of the Glowing Sea.

How to Find Vault 114 in Fallout 4 (Vault 114 Location)

Vault 114 was supposed to be inhabited by wealthy individuals such as politicians, who'd then be forced to live in impoverished conditions as an experiment to see how they'd cope. However, the rich escaped this life of squalor as Vault 114 was never completed, which seems strangely convenient, though not that hard to understand.

The remnants of this unfinished Vault became the home of some Triggermen gang members that players will need to clear out as they loot the place. Those seeking to plunder the ruins of Vault 114 should start from Goodneighbor and travel southwest, though they won't need to go far. They should enter Park Street Station and head down into its depths to find the path leading to Vault 114's entrance.

How to Find Vault 118 in Fallout 4 (Vault 118 Location)

Vault 118 was added to the game as part of the Far Harbor DLC and was designed to pit the uberwealthy against members of the working-class population. However, as was the case with many other vaults, work on Vault 118 was never completed, leaving its overseer alone with nothing but a bunch of deranged robobrains for company.

Players will find Vault 118 beneath the Cliff's Edge Hotel, which is to the east of the National Park HQ. Inside the vault, they'll be able to get their hands on a ton of interesting loot, and also trigger the Brain Dead side quest. It's worth noting that Vault 118 was the first DLC vault in the history of the franchise, but it would not be the game's last.

How to Find Vault 88 in Fallout 4 (Vault 88 Location)

Introduced as part of the game's Vault-Tec Workshop DLC, Vault 88 was originally going to test prototype devices with a view to then shipping them out to the other vaults. However, construction had not long begun when the bombs began to drop, leaving the vault largely unfinished.

Players can find Vault 88 in a small cave beneath Quincy Quarries, which is to the southeast of Hyde Park and the east of Suffolk County Charter School. Upon their arrival, they'll need to deal with a bunch of Raiders, after which, they'll have a chance to expand the Vault by finding the various Vault-Tech control boards that are scattered around throughout it.

FAQ

Q: How many vaults are in Fallout 4?

There are five vaults in the base version of Fallout 4, with two more later being added through DLC expansions. At one point, there were also plans for an underwater vault which would have been known as Vault 120, though this never ended up making it into the game. Datamininers have found evidence of another vault known as Vault 113 too, though very little is known about this particular piece of cut-content.