Undoubtedly, one of the most iconic aspects of the Fallout franchise is its variety of Vaults, and Fallout 4 features seven of these underground bunkers for the Sole Survivor to explore. Despite being d as places of safety during a nuclear war, Vault-Tec's Vaults were anything but, with most being home to terrible experiments. Learning the story of each Vault can be both rewarding and interesting, with each one having a unique, tragic tale.

Fallout 4's Vaults are found in various locations all over the Commonwealth, with five found in the base game and two added with DLC. While most can be found while completing quests, there are a couple that will require the Sole Survivor to seek them out on their own. These dangerous Vaults are all worth exploring at least once, to learn their secrets and find their loot, but a few are worth return trips.

7 Vault 111 - Cryogenic Facility

Located Above Sanctuary Hills

Vault 111 is the first Vault any Sole Survivor will visit, as this is their local Vault, which they will flee to at the start of Fallout 4 during the introduction sequence and serves as a starting area. Located on a hill just above Sanctuary Hills, an elevator must be taken to enter the facility deep underground, which is where the Sole Survivor believes they and their family will be safe. However, instead of living comfortably in a state-of-the-art Vault, they and the other residents are quickly cryogenically frozen as part of one of Vault-Tec's bizarre experiments.

The Cryolator, a unique weapon, is behind a master-level lock in the Overseer's office and serves as the only reason to return to the starting Vault after leaving.

The experiment of Vault 111 was to see how cryostasis would affect unsuspecting subjects, and the Vault's staff were expected to watch over them until the all-clear signal was given. The signal never came, and the Sole Survivor will wake up to a Vault filled with the dead 210 years in the future. Reading through the Vault's terminals will reveal the fate of the unfortunate staff trapped underground with limited food. The Vault shows clear signs of violence as the Sole Survivor makes their escape, with the security staff turning on the Vault scientists in an attempt to leave.

6 Vault 88 - Build Your Own Vault

Located In Quincy Quarries, Northwest Of Quincy

Vault 88 is an odd Vault in the world of Fallout and is the focus of the Vault-Tec Workshop Fallout 4 DLC. Located a little northwest of Quincy, Vault 88 was never finished, with only its entrance section and vault door complete by the time the bombs fell in October 2077. Overseer Barstow, her team, and the Vault's entrance were all buried under the rubble for over 210 years, and over time, they all became ghouls. The rest of the staff eventually became feral, with only Barstow remaining sane thanks to her unwavering dedication to Vault-Tec.

When Vault 88 is found, raiders are attempting to break in, and after stopping them, the Sole Survivor can meet the Overseer and finish building the Vault. Vault 88’s draw is that it can be whatever the Sole Survivor wants it to be. While clearing the areas can feel like a slog, for those looking forward to playing Overseer, Vault 88 can become a massive and productive settlement. What is interesting is Barstow's fanatical dedication to Vault-Tec and its experiments, going so far as her leaving if the Sole Survivor chooses too many humane options.

5 Vault 114 - Unfinished Vault Turned Mobster Hideout

Located Inside Park Street Station

The Sole Survivor will usually visit Vault 114 as part of the main quest "Unlikely Valentine" as they attempt to find detective Nick Valentine, who has gone missing. Vault 114 was built inside a metro station just off of Boston Common but was never finished before the bombs fell and was never occupied by any residents or Vault-Tec. When the Sole Survivor arrives, the Vault is home to Skinny Malone and his gang, who have left Goodneighbor to strike out on their own. However, there are still clues throughout to hint at the Vault's original experiment.

Vault 114 was originally d as a luxury Vault to attract of Boston's upper class. This was a lie, however, and the residents would have been living in very basic accommodation. Vault-Tec was planning to install an Overseer with very strong anti-authority feelings and went out of its way to interview conspiracy theorists. Its final choice was a man called Soup Can Harry who believed in eating Abraxo Cleaner and refused to wear pants. The goal of the Vault was to observe how those used to privilege and power responded when someone unqualified and unstable was placed in control.

4 Vault 95 - Rehabilitation Facility

Located Southeast Edge Of The Glowing Sea

From unfinished Vaults to Vaults that were in full use when the bombs fell in 2077, with Vault 95 on the edge of the Glowing Sea. Vault 95 is a perfect example of Vault-Tec's callous disregard for people's well-being as a supposedly safe place was turned into a nightmare for its residents. Vault 95's inhabitants were chosen because of their addiction to various substances such as alcohol or chems, and they were invited into the Vault to help them get sober as part of a program. However, once inside, their new lives ended all too soon.

Vault 95 can be found as part of Cait’s Fallout 4 companion quest.

After getting the residents clean and sober for five years, a Vault-Tec agent inside the Vault opened a hidden stash of chems with the idea being to watch how the inhabitants reacted. The result was violence and death, as the residents split into two factions: those who gave into their addictions and those who attempted to stick to the program. By the time the Sole Survivor finds Vault 95 centuries later, all the residents are long dead, and the facility is controlled by the Gunners, a mercenary Fallout 4 faction, and contains the Big Guns Bobblehead and lots of aluminum junk.

3 Vault 75 - Super Solider Program

Located Under Malden Middle School

Vault 75 is without a doubt the most tragic and horrific of all the Vaults found in Fallout 4. The Vault is located under Malden Middle School in the north of the Commonwealth, close to Malden Center and Med-Tek Research. The Vault was d as a perfect place for families with children, especially those attending the school above, and when the bombs fell all families arrived in time to gain entry. However, upon arrival, parents and other adults were quickly separated from the children and killed so that the Vault-Tec experiment could begin.

The Gunners will be in control of Vault 75 unless the main questline has been completed. If the Sole Survivor sides with the Railroad or Institute, Brotherhood of Steel forces will be inside, while it will contain Synths if the Sole Survivor sides with the Brotherhood or Minutemen.

Children in the Vault were selectively bred to create the perfect soldiers, with those with the most desirable traits 'harvested' before being killed before reaching adulthood or else becoming part of the Vault's science team if intelligent enough. Each generation of children was raised on stories of the terrible 'Uptopland' and tested in various ways to make them as intelligent and strong as they could possibly be. Eventually, a generation of children rebelled and killed many of the staff holding them. However, the fate of those children is unclear, although terminal entries hint at an escape.

2 Vault 118 - Luxury Vault

Located Under The Cliff's Edge Hotel, Far Harbor

Vault 118 is an area that provides a moment of levity in an otherwise grim world and can be found under a hotel in the Far Harbor DLC. The Sole Survivor can be invited to the Vault by Pearl, one of the robot attendants, and is tasked with solving the murder of one of the robobrain residents. The murder mystery is fun and makes for a memorable visit to Vault 118, which is filled with odd characters. However, while following the clues, the full story of Vault 118 and its residents will emerge, which is a fantastic tale of Vault-Tec getting played.

Vault 118 was intended to be the home of 10 ultra-rich people, with a privately funded luxury wing, alongside 300 working-class people in a second cramped wing of the Vault. However, once the luxury area had been completed, the funding was stopped, forcing Vault-Tec to halt construction of the second wing. The result was a private Vault for 10 with Vault-Tec having no control and their Overseer being the only human resident. The Sole Survivor can uncover the entire scam which was all perpetrated by murder and con artist Ezra Parker.

1 Vault 81 - Fully Functioning Community

Located West Of Diamond City

Finally, there is one Vault in the Commonwealth that is not only narratively fascinating but also worthy of repeated visits. Vault 81 is located almost directly west of Diamond City and south of Oberland Station, with the entrance tucked away in an old construction site. The first thing that makes Vault 81 stand out is that it is still being lived in by the descendants of its original residents who have a happy and thriving community. However, as the Sole Survivor digs deeper, the terrible reality of what Vault-Tec had planned for them is revealed.

Fallout 4 companion Curie can be recruited by completing “Hole in the Wall” in Vault 81.

Vault 81 is divided into two sections with the main Vault being home to the residents who continue to live there 210 years later. However, the second area was a science lab designed to test various diseases on unsuspecting civilians to create cures. Luckily, the Vault’s original Overseer was so horrified that she sabotaged the Vault, preventing the experiments from ever taking place. Once the mystery has been solved, the Sole Survivor can use a room in Vault 81 and regularly trade with one of Fallout 4’s best merchants, making Vault 81 a standout Fallout 4 destination.