Top Fallout Vaults: The Most Fascinating Bunkers to Visit
Amazon’s Fallout series brings iconic vaults from the games to life, each with its own bizarre backstory. Dive into the most memorable vaults and the wild experiments that shaped them.
Amazon’s adaptation of the Fallout universe has brought some of the most memorable underground bunkers from the games onto the small screen, and there’s no sign of slowing down. Vault-Tec, with its bottomless budget, built a stack of high-tech shelters, each with its own odd twist. Some differences are just in the design or supplies, but others are much more extreme—think social experiments gone wrong, or vaults set up to push their residents to the edge. The outcomes? Usually a mess for those inside, but a treat for anyone watching from the outside.
If you’ve spent any time wandering through the Fallout games, you’ll know that disaster is pretty much the norm. But that’s only scratching the surface. Some vaults descend into total chaos, and while that’s rough for the folks inside, it makes for cracking entertainment. Here’s a look at the most intriguing vaults from across the games and the TV series, perfect for anyone keen to dig deeper before the next big release.
Unforgettable Vaults and Their Stories
Vault 4 stands out in the first season of the show, where Lucy discovers that not every shelter is as cheery as the one she grew up in. Originally a scientific facility, the test subjects eventually took over, ousting their overseers. Outsiders are now grudgingly accepted, and beneath the surface, things are far from normal.
Vault 8 is the foundation of Vault City, first seen in Fallout 2. It’s one of the rare examples where Vault-Tec’s plan didn’t go completely off the rails. By the time the show’s characters would come across it, it’s just a communal basement for the city above, but its legacy is worth a mention.
Vault 111 is where Fallout 4 kicks off, with the main character waking from cryo-sleep to find their child missing. With cryogenics already popping up in the series, this iconic location is likely to make an appearance in future episodes.
Vaults with a Twist
Vault 29 is only mentioned in passing in the original Fallout and Fallout 76. It’s rumoured to have housed a bunch of privileged uni kids, leaving plenty of room for future stories. Imagine if the main characters had to rely on these pampered types for help—the possibilities are endless.
Vault 75 brings a dark edge to the series, with its focus on breeding super-soldiers in Fallout 4. The experiment aimed to create stronger, faster, and more aggressive people, but as you’d expect, things went sideways. It’s a grim reminder of what Vault-Tec was willing to try.
Vault 87 is infamous for its human experiments, leading to the creation of Super Mutants in Fallout 3. It’s a disturbing place, and if it ever appears in the show, it’s sure to be just as unsettling. Few vaults leave as strong an impression as this one.
Vaults with Tragic Outcomes
Vault 94 sits beneath the radioactive Mire in Appalachia. Populated by pacifists who refused to arm themselves, the vault was eventually overrun by raiders. A meltdown led to a containment breach, spreading radiation and creating the Mire. It’s a bleak chapter in the Fallout story.
Vault 12 is the birthplace of Necropolis, home to the ghouls. The experiment here was to see what happened when people were slowly exposed to radiation, and the result was a community of survivors who are neither fully alive nor dead. It’s a standout setting that would fit right into the TV series.
Vault 109 comes from Fallout: The Board Game and is basically a luxury hotel underground. Stocked with all the best goods, it became a target for anyone desperate enough to try their luck. Watching the wealthy get their comeuppance is always a crowd-pleaser.
Oddball Vaults and Missed Opportunities
Vault 70 was planned for a cancelled Fallout sequel. Here, jumpsuits ran out after just six months, and the community was mostly made up of Mormons. It’s an idea that’s never been fully explored, but it would make for an interesting addition to the franchise.
Vault 108 is a powder keg: systems designed to fail after twenty years, heaps of weapons, and overseers who are terminally ill from the start. Add in a cloning machine that churns out copies of a bloke named Gary, and you’ve got a recipe for chaos. It’d make a brilliant one-off episode if the show ever goes there.
If you’re keen to keep up with the next season, check out the release schedule. Or, if you fancy a change of pace, there are plenty of other games like Fallout to try out while you wait.