With the advent of Fallout 76 firmly under our belts, it seems there’s no better time to revisit and rediscover the Capital Wasteland of Fallout 4. Being a mainline Bethesda title, Fallout 4 boasts a vast open-world that stretches from the historical port-side of Boston, Massachusetts all the way to the Glowing Sea, a heavily radiated zone in the South West. Fallout has always assumed large distances and open areas, and therefore make it a necessity to fill the world to the brink with colorful references and secret hidden gadgets that would make your adventure through the wasteland a doss—which could be rather helpful considering the vastness of the world and the danger it inhabits.
Consequently, there’s a myriad of unexplored locations and hidden secrets that most fans of the series would be forgiven for missing. Whether it’s the fallen debris of a crashed space ship, to a creepy car park dungeon, where one is forced to fight for their lives in a game of wits. There are a plethora of minute details that are somewhat concealed to the gamer’s bare eye, and being a Bethesda production, these details are many and more, and considerably hard to locate.
Fear not, weary waste-lander, as this list is here to qualm your thoughts and entice your exploratory buzz as we descend into some specific examples of Commonwealth locations that most fans will never find. So, be prepared to learn some sweet Fallout knowledge, here’s 25 Hidden Fallout 4 Locations That Casual Fans Will Never Find (And Where To Find Them).
25 Parking’s A Nightmare
There’s no more extreme and freakier place to start than at the Milton Parking Garage located in the south-central area of the map, across the road from Fallon’s Department Store. Connected via catwalks to Milton General Hospital, this hidden location acts as an enticing trap for curious wanderers across the Capital Wasteland, that if the player decides to enter, will endure numerous life-threatening tests of wit and skill. There are a number of treasures to find amongst the bodies littered throughout including several safes, a fusion core, and the “Hot Pink” custom paint job for your power armor.
24 Cheers! Ma Dears
There is a notable reference to popular 80s sitcom, and Woody Harrelson’s call to fame, Cheers!, located southwest of Massachusetts State House and west of Swan’s Pond. A complete replica of the establishment from the beloved sitcom, Prost bar has a few baseball posters around the surrounding walls—a reference to character, Sam Malone, played by Ted Danson—and a solitary skeleton sitting comfortably in the corner wearing formal attire—Frasier Crane incarnate. The title of the bar is also a nod to the TV show, “Prost” being the German term for “Cheers."
23 Vault 95
Located at the northeast edge of the aforementioned Glowing Sea (pack your hazmat suit), is the rehabilitative Vault 95—an institute for those with a chem addiction. Being the sinister corporation Vault-Tech is, the institute soon reveals itself to be place of human testing, as a secret stash of chems is introduced to the Vault, leading to the downfall of the human inhabitants.
Soon enough they all turn on each other, crumbling under the weight of their addictions and either being offed by overdose or fighting.
But there are still heaps of chems and drinks to find (and a bobblehead too)!
22 War, War Sometimes Changes
If you venture around the coast of the Commonwealth south of Boston Airport, you may well hear tales of a hidden submarine laying seemingly dormant amidst the waves. This is indeed true as the Yangtze-31 Chinese submarine can be found just northeast of the Four Leaf fish-packing plant. It houses Captian Zao—a living memory of the war that instigated the entire Fallout series. Zao will ask the player to help repair his ship, in order to return home, yet, being a Fallout game, the player can also decide to destroy the ship, albeit at the loss of a fancy sword.
21 It’s Not Rocket Science
Somewhere northeast of Relay Tower 0BB-915 (located in the western central area of The Commonwealth) lies an abundance of gas canisters, and an abundance of fun.
If the player decides to venture out this far, they’ll find a simple shed filled to the brim with red propane canisters and three unassuming launch pads.
The player can grab and place the canisters on the pads and shoot the tips in order to propel them off into the wasteland like rockets out into space. It’s super fun and totally safe... we think.
20 The Kids Are Not All Right
Off to a considerably darker example now. The Suffolk County Charter School is a location on the map situated in the far south central area of The Commonwealth offering a bunch of loot and a dark secret to boot. The school ruins detail the implementation of the Nutrition Alternative Paste Program (NAPP), which insisted upon the children only dining on a strange pink paste developed by none other than Vault-Tech. This caused the children to act out violently and gain an odd skin complexion, as per the pink Ghouls you can find within.
19 Close Encounters Of The Third Kind
A staple of the Fallout series, the Alien Blaster is a unique, overpowered weapon that you can find situated to the north of the Somerville ruins in the Capital Wasteland.
If you see smoke in the distance, and a path of uprooted soil, then follow it, and you’ll find a crashed UFO engulfed in flame.
If players then decide to follow the abhorrent green goo that trails out the base of the saucer, it will lead them to a mysterious cave, an alien, and the coveted Alien Blaster (with a bunch of ammo too).
18 Hardly A Bore
The Dunwich Borers is a location situated to the west of Hugo’s hole, and the east of The Slog. A quarry inhabited by a group of raiders that worship a supernatural entity, the work site is a hazardous location, housing a bunch of traps, Feral Ghouls, and a lot of loot too. If the player ventures inwards they will be subject to a number of flashbacks pointing to a dark influence from unknown forces leading to the deformation of the site and its inhabitants. Possibly a reference to Fallout 3’s Dunwich Building, where a ritual is performed at the behest of, “Ug-Qualtoth.”
17 That’s A Mighty Big Crab
The Murkwater Construction Site is a location in Fallout 4 positioned south of Suffolk County Charter School and west of Wilson Atomatoys Factory. A seemingly abandoned construction site, the location serves as a great area for a settlement, as long as the player clears the surrounding area.
There's a level-50 Mirelurk Queen laying hidden amongst the waters, so make sure to bring along your power amour.
And, on the topic of power armor, there’s a spawn location just west of the site, guarded by a sole Mister Gutsy. Two birds, one stone (one of those birds being an oversized crab creature).
16 Put Your Head Between Your Legs And Kiss Your Behind Goodbye
There is a large wreckage location in the northern area of The Commonwealth, featuring a fallen plane and some interesting lore, the Skylanes Flight 1981 lays destroyed in a small ditch. The player can explore said wreckage and find numerous items of bountiful knowledge and wealth, such as a smuggling manifest and Astoundingly Awesome Tales #6. Lots of loot and the final recording of the flight, in which the pilot details his attempt to land the plane safely on a nearby highway during the initial nuclear war all those years ago, only to crash hundreds of feet ahead.
15 Vault 75
Found deep in the basement of the Malden Middle School in the north-eastern section of the Capital Wasteland, Vault 75 was constructed as a safe place for the students in the event of a nuclear attack.
However, as per the villainy of Vault-Tech, it served a much darker purpose – the refinement of human genetics.
The children were separated from the adults on entry and forced to endure mental and physical tests in order to bolster their genes. These children were either harvested for genetic refinement or were released upon graduation only to be savagely offed on their exit. How horrible.
14 In Your “Spare” Time
Hidden within the confines of the General Atomics Galleria, the Back Bowling Alley is a great place to find some loot, learn some lore, and have a little fun while you’re at it.
Located east of the Skylanes Flight 1981, the bowling alley boasts the latest in ten-pin bowling technology, giving the player the option to try their hand at the beloved sport. There’s also a bunch of notable items including three fusion cores and a handful of buildings to loot, all of which have a quirky robot to govern them.
13 Return To Sender
There are numerous hidden quests throughout the world of Fallout 4, one of the more notable and loot-heavy missions are the ones found on beaches, situated in bottles. On reading these messages in bottles, the player will receive a quest marker leading them to a hidden loot cache in the Capital Wasteland. This is a great way to earn a bunch of caps and explore the world simultaneously, as each message will lead you to a new, potentially undiscovered location.
12 I Have A “Sinking” Feeling
Sink your teeth into this one, Fallout fans. The Old Gullet Sinkhole, situated in the north-eastern area of the map, is a giant crater-like hole caused by the swallowing of a former neighborhood years after the Great War.
Containing a sole Deathclaw, the sinkhole leads to a cave inhabited by a couple of corpses, a bunch of Radroaches, and a copy of the ever-useful Wasteland Survival Guide. It also leads up the backend of a nearby house which holds a unique hat, a letter from a sleepwalker, and a sweet Vault-Tech lunchbox to boot.
11 Keep Your Guard Up
This one’s a little harder to find than the rest. Located in the eastern area of the map, the player can stumble across the County Crossing settlement area, a simple farmland and a great place to set up shop, the crossing holds a number of secrets, one of which is the roaming Protectron still active up by a nearby trailer. Upon entering the trailer the player will find a snub-nosed .44 caliber pistol and the remnants of a fatal scene—the shattered remains of the trailer's owner, and the skeleton of his seemingly female companion.
10 As Plain To See
Another potential settlement location filled to the brim with loot and lore. Jamaica Plain is a ruined city in the southern region of The Commonwealth known for its mysterious treasure exhibit, which has claimed the lives of many a raider.
Containing a fair few pre-war items, the basement of the town hall is littered with goodies as well as the bodies of a previous treasure hunter group, whose remains can also be found scattered across town. A must-have acquisition of the area is the 2076 World Series Baseball Bat, which has a unique property to send its victims flying.
9 You Jump, I Jump, Remember?
This goes out to all the Titanic fans out there. If the player decides to purchase the Far Harbour DLC for Fallout 4, they’ll be graced with a cool little reference to the 1997 film, a very cool and rather pessimistic reference at that. In a Lake, a little north of the The Nucleus, you’ll find a couple of skeletons lying hand-in-hand akin to that of Jack and Rose–one submerged in water and the other laying atop a wooden door, which clearly has enough room for two. Sound familiar?
8 A Spectacular Point Of Interest
Positioned in the far eastern section of the Capital Wasteland, Spectacle Island is unique settlement location for players to find and liberate. When venturing throughout, the player will find details of a high-pitched pulse to fend off its Mirelurk inhabitants. However, there is also a Mirelurk Queen waiting to spawn, as well as a potential legendary Mirelurk Deep King.
So, keep your wits about you.
As for loot, there’s a Fat Man, a couple of Nuka-Cola Quantums, and the Luck bobblehead to boot.
7 Carhenge
And so, humanity’s strange obsession with archaic rock formations is translated into Fallout 4 in the only way possible, using cars. Yes, that’s right folks, you can find a car replica of the real-world Stonehenge in an unmarked location just south of Walden Pond.
Not much of note here besides the bizarre notion of the addition and the dangerous enemy that roams the area.
You’ll find that one of the cars is oddly dissimilar from the others—pack your Fat Man, as there’s a Behemoth in those hills.
6 The Secret Of Cabot House
In the north-eastern section of Fallout 4’s gargantuan map, players may come across a strange, eerie-looking building akin to something out of a horror story. This will probably be Parsons State Insane Asylum, a mansion built by the Cabot family as a place to treat the mentally ill, sporting a multi-level basement system for its worst cases.
After returning from the Middle East in 1894, Lorenzo Cabot had in his possession a mysterious artifact which granted him supernatural powers and unnatural long life. Players can find him and a whole bunch of loot, including the Charisma bobblehead, hidden deep within the asylum.