The Institute (location)

The Institute is a location in the Commonwealth in Fallout 4. It is the secret headquarters of the organization known as the Institute, and is located deep beneath the C.I.T. ruins.

Layout
The Institute is a large cylindrical-shaped subterranean city with 3 floors. Hallways wrap the outskirts of the cylinder leaving the middle section open for a large atrium of trees and fountains, with a helix-shaped elevator going to the surface levels where the teleporter is located. The upper two stories of the cylinder are residential and meeting rooms. The majority of activity takes place on the bottom floor.

Along the outer circumference of the lower floor are the 4 labs. Bioscience is the lab to the northeast. Robotics is to the southeast. Synth Retention is to the Southwest. Advanced Systems is to the Northwest. There are also supply rooms next to each of the labs in the lower section. Some of these are locked via terminals.

Towards the hub of the bottom floor are 4 recreational/common areas. To the north is the cafeteria, to the east is supplies/outfitting, to the south is a break/lounge area, and to the west is medical.

Bioscience
One of the larger labs, bioscience is filled with plants, and even some synthetic gorillas. Most notably, however, is a series of connected labs that have been closed off and abandoned. The quest Building a Better Crop can be found here from one of the scientists.

FEV Lab
The FEV lab is thought to be the source of all the super mutants found in the commonwealth. Years of experiments with the Forced Evolutionary Virus took place here on the innocent people of the wasteland. It is also believed that this was where mutant hounds were created.

To access the lab you must either pick a novice lock in the back hallways of the Bioscience division or hack a master terminal. You will encounter multiple synths, an assaultron and laser turrets as you go. At the doorway to a large storage room there is a terminal to deactivate the turrets and open the door.

Past the storage room you enter what looks like a long room filled with observation cells. They are oddly filled with children's toys, most-likely to test the intelligence super mutants. Past that there is a small room with a dead synth and another door access terminal. It is possible that the dead synths are from whatever took place when the lab was shutdown.

The player will then find what looks to be the main research room, with three large glass cylinders in the middle, two of which contain super mutant specimens. The third cylinder looks to have been smashed with a chair. The rest of the room is filled with lab equipment and machinery. You can find another terminal that is filled with test subject information and progress reports. You can also find the serum that Virgil asks you to retrieve to cure his mutation and the holotape "Brian Virgil personal log 0176" which explains why he left the Institute. You can give this holotape to Madison Li to convince her to leave the Institute.

Robotics
Robotics is the smallest of the four labs by accessible areas, consisting of a single large room containing the Institute's synth assembler. A constant stream of synths is being produced here, being assembled in a pool in the middle before climbing out and walking through into the inaccessible Processing section.

Synth retention
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Notable loot

 * WARNING: This loot will become unavailable after completing the Nuclear Option for any of the three Factions (The Brotherhood, The Railroad, The Minutemen) It is suggested you collect this loot before siding against the Institute.
 * Every Institute-unique junk item contains at least some Aluminum, and dozens if not hundreds of items can be found throughout the facility.
 * Found in Holdren's Room at the top of the north spiral staircase. Out on the left balcony on a table to the right is an Astoundingly Awesome Tales.
 * 3 Ice cold Nuka-Colas in the cafeteria on the bottom floor. These can be taken without stealing.
 * Voice Recording "Director's Notes 2, found at utmost top level in an office on a desk.
 * Voice Recording "Director's Recording #108" found in the Director's Quarters, near the spot with the radio and covered computer, in the top white box.
 * Voice Recording "Advanced System Notes" found on a balcony of one of the top level rooms.
 * Collectible Baseball and Bat in a room on one of the spiral stairways (south side, middle floor, right hand door, in the bedroom).
 * Voice Recording "Director's Recording #52" on a side table in a conference room on the top level (East Side).
 * Voice recording "Implant Update Session #7" located in an area that appears to be an expansion of The Institute, as its filled with several pieces of heavy machinery. The section must be accessed via a dilapidated elevator off of the ground floor storage room on the South side of The Institute. The elevator room is the door on the left. The recording itself is on one of the shelves, at ground level.

Bioscience (FEV Lab)

 * A Hooked Pipe Wrench Mod on a shelf in the storage area of the FEV lab.
 * Voice recording "Brian Virgil Personal Log 0176" can be found in the FEV lab with the super mutants.
 * Voice recording "FEV Research Notes" on a console in front of the Super Mutant test tubes in the FEV lab.

Advanced Systems

 * Voice recording "Advanced Systems Notes" located in the Advanced Systems lab.
 * 8 Synth relay grenades in the Advanced Systems firing range.

Appearances
The Institute only appears in Fallout 4. The location is mentioned several times in Fallout 3 and in Mr. House's obituary in Fallout New Vegas.