Fallout 4 Vault Locations Guide: How to Find All Vaults

Fallout 4 Vaults are one of the most fascinating aspects of the game’s post-apocalyptic world. Fallout 4 is an action role-playing title set in a devastated land following a nuclear war. Humanity’s only hope for survival rested in Vaults—a vast network of underground shelters built by the Vault-Tec Corporation as a safeguard for the American people against nuclear destruction and other cataclysmic events.

As one of the lucky survivors, once you emerge from your own Vault, you’ll quickly realize that many other Fallout 4 Vaults exist across the Commonwealth. Each of them hides its own secrets, stories, and valuable loot. Visiting these locations not only rewards you with unique items but also expands the lore, revealing more about the dark experiments that took place long before your arrival.

The world of Fallout 4 is massive, making it easy to miss some of these secret underground facilities unless you’re a natural explorer who loves uncovering every point of interest. For those who prefer direct guidance instead of aimless wandering, this Fallout 4 Vaults guide will show you where to find every Vault and what treasures await inside each one.

Read on to discover all Fallout 4 Vault locations and the stories they hold within their cold steel walls.

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

We begin with Vault 111, the very first of all Fallout 4 Vaults you’ll encounter. This is the starting point of your adventure, as it’s the Vault you wake up in after being cryogenically frozen. Its location will automatically appear on your map, west of Sanctuary in the far northwest part of the Commonwealth. It’s impossible to miss, but it’s worth revisiting later in the game.

Like many other Vaults, its true purpose was hidden from the public. Vault 111 was designed to test the long-term effects of cryonic suspension on unknowing participants. This experiment served as one of Vault-Tec’s many morally dubious projects disguised as acts of protection.

Revisiting Vault 111 later is worth your time. When you explore it again after leveling up, you’ll find a unique weapon locked inside a display case in the overseer’s room. The case requires a master lockpick to open, so you’ll need the Locksmith perk at Rank 3, which demands 4 Perception points and character level 18. Once you meet those conditions, you can return to claim your well-earned prize.

Vault 75 Location: Malden Middle School’s Dark Secret

Next on the list of Fallout 4 Vaults is Vault 75, located beneath Malden Middle School in the Malden district, just east of the Western Enclave Encampment. It’s easy to overlook if you’re not specifically searching for it.

Publicly, Vault 75 was advertised as a safe refuge for children during a nuclear disaster. In reality, it hid a far darker truth. The Vault served as a facility for genetic experiments, aiming to create a “superior” generation through hormonal treatments and selective breeding. What sounded like an attempt at progress was in fact one of the most disturbing projects Vault-Tec ever conducted.

The Vault is accessible via the school’s basement entrance and populated by a large number of Gunners, although the exact enemies you’ll face may vary depending on your faction choices and story progression. Inside, you can find the Science Bobblehead, which permanently improves your hacking skill by increasing your guess chance by one.

Vault 81 Location: Fallout 4’s Safe Haven Turned Shelter

Vault 81 is one of the rare Fallout 4 Vaults that actually lived up to its promise of safety. You can find it in the central Commonwealth, west of the Chestnut Hillock Reservoir and south of the river. Unlike most other Vaults, this one truly served its intended purpose thanks to an Overseer who refused to follow Vault-Tec’s unethical orders.

Originally, Vault 81 was meant to serve as a testing ground for a universal cure for all diseases. Unfortunately, the company’s plan involved deliberately infecting the residents—a line the Overseer refused to cross. Because of this rebellion, the Vault became one of the safest places in the entire game.

Vault 81 also features a hidden area accessible during the Hole in the Wall side quest. You can trigger this quest by donating blood to Dr. Forsythe and returning later. Inside the secret section, you’ll discover the Medicine Bobblehead, which permanently increases Stimpak healing by 10%. You’ll also encounter Curie, a robot companion with a charming accent and a unique personality, who can become a valuable ally both in combat and story progression.

Vault 95 Location: Drug Rehabilitation or Disaster?

Vault 95 sits in the southern region of the Commonwealth, south of Waypoint Echo and west of the river. On paper, it was a rehabilitation facility for former chem addicts—a chance at redemption. In practice, it was another twisted Vault-Tec experiment. Once the residents were cured, the company intentionally reintroduced drugs into their environment to see whether they’d relapse under temptation.

This Vault is one of the most dangerous among all Fallout 4 Vaults. It’s crawling with Gunners and deadly Assaultrons, so prepare before you enter. Use combat-enhancing chems like Jet, Psycho, or Med-X, and rely on V.A.T.S. to target enemy limbs or use mines for crowd control. Wearing power armor can also make the battle much easier.

The reward for surviving Vault 95 is worth the struggle—you’ll find the Big Guns Bobblehead inside, granting a permanent 25% boost to critical damage with heavy weapons. This Vault also connects to one of Cait’s personal quests, adding emotional weight to your visit.

Vault 114 Location: Unfinished Experiments in Fallout 4

Vault 114 is located beneath Park Street Station in Boston’s Back Bay area. Marketed as a luxurious refuge for the upper class, it turned out to be anything but glamorous. Instead, it was intended to test how wealthy citizens would cope with being stripped of their privileges and forced to live in modest conditions.

This social experiment aimed to observe the emotional breakdown of the rich under stress and deprivation. Ironically, Vault 114 was never completed, so the planned experiment was never fully realized. Still, exploring it reveals fascinating lore about class disparity and moral hypocrisy even after the apocalypse.

Inside Vault 114, you’ll find the Speech Bobblehead, a valuable collectible that gives all vendors an additional 100 caps to trade with. This makes bartering much more profitable and is one of the best rewards among all Fallout 4 Vaults.

Vault 118 Location: Far Harbor DLC’s Twisted Experiment

Vault 118 is part of the Far Harbor DLC and located beneath the Cliff’s Edge Hotel on The Island. Similar to Vault 114, it was meant to separate social classes—but with an even darker twist. The Vault was designed to house a small group of elites in one wing and hundreds of poor individuals in the other. The rich were to rule with absolute power while the poor obeyed unconditionally. However, the second wing was never completed, halting the experiment.

Players exploring Vault 118 will find an unusual mix of items rather than traditional loot. You can pick up unique apparel like Road Goggles that grant +1 Intelligence, and the Fencebuster baseball bat that ignores 30% of enemy resistances. There’s also The Dapper Gent formal hat, purchasable from Pearl, offering +2 Charisma and a touch of high-class fashion.

Vault 88 Location: Build and Expand with Vault-Tec Workshop

Vault 88, available through the Vault-Tec Workshop DLC, stands out as one of the most unique Fallout 4 Vaults. Unlike others, this one allows you to design and build it yourself. Found beneath Quincy Quarries in the southern part of the map, near the coast west of Suffolk County Charter School, Vault 88 is a massive construction project waiting for your creativity.

According to lore, the Vault was meant to serve as a testing facility for experimental Vault-Tec technologies. However, its unfinished state offers players a sandbox-like experience to build their ideal underground settlement. While there isn’t much traditional loot here, the true value of Vault 88 lies in its limitless customization potential. With ample space and build freedom, it’s the perfect spot to let your imagination run wild.

Conclusion

Each of the Fallout 4 Vaults was created under the guise of protecting humanity but often served as the setting for grim experiments and moral corruption. From the tragic story of Vault 75’s genetic testing to Vault 81’s rare glimpse of hope, these underground shelters reveal both the brilliance and the cruelty of pre-war America. Exploring them all not only uncovers valuable loot and collectibles but also deepens your understanding of Fallout 4’s lore and worldbuilding.

Don’t worry if you missed some Vaults during your playthrough—use this Fallout 4 Vaults guide to track them all down and uncover every secret the game has to offer. Each visit reveals another layer of Fallout’s hauntingly fascinating history and ensures you won’t miss a single story hidden beneath the wasteland.

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