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, entitled "FEV Labs". These can either be accessed via a master terminal hack in the main bioscience lab, or a novice lockpick and run through an abandoned area guarded by several turrets and an assaultron. The main feature of the FEV Labs is a room with super-mutants in some sort of stasis tubes. "Brian Virgil Personal Log 0176" is located here next to the computer terminal. This room also contains the FEV serum for Brian Virgil.

You can also get the quest Building a Better Crop here from one of the scientists.

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.

Notable loot

 * Every Institute-unique junk item contains at least some Aluminum, and dozens if not hundreds of items can be found throughout the facility.
 * Top floor on the just at the top of the north spiral staircase there's a room with two balconies. 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 "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.
 * Voice recording "Brian Virgil Personal Log 0176" can be found in the FEV lab with the super mutants.
 * Voice recording "Advanced Systems Notes" located in the Advanced Systems lab.
 * 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 a large, open bin by the novice locked terminal where you start by the spiral staircase.
 * Voice Recording "Advanced System Notes" found on a balcony of one of the top level rooms.
 * Lots of Synth relay grenade in the Advanced Systems room.
 * Collectible Baseball and Bat in a room on one of the spiral stairways.
 * Technical Document in a room in the back of the Bioscience area.
 * Voice Recording "Director's Recording #52" on a side table in a conference room on the top level.

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.