You're wandering the Commonwealth. Everything is brown, radioactive, and trying to eat your face. Then you see it. A small, plastic man with a giant head, grinning at you from a dusty desk.
Finding bobblehead locations in Fallout 4 isn't just a completionist’s fever dream. It's survival.
Most players treat these things like simple trophies. They aren't. They are permanent, game-breaking power-ups that can turn a struggling Vault Dweller into a wasteland god. If you grab the right ones early, the game feels completely different. If you miss them? Well, you're just leaving free stats on the table.
The S.P.E.C.I.A.L. Seven: Why Timing is Everything
Let's get one thing straight. There is a "right" way to collect the core attribute bobbleheads.
If you pick up the Strength bobblehead when your Strength is already at 10, it goes to 11. This is the only way to "overclock" your stats past the natural cap without using gear or drugs. Most people rush to find them immediately. Honestly, if you're min-maxing, you should wait until that specific stat is naturally maxed out at 10 before touching the bobblehead.
Where they’re hiding (and how to survive)
The Perception bobblehead is usually the first one you'll trip over. It's in the Museum of Freedom in Concord. You’ll find it on a desk right next to where Preston Garvey is having his existential crisis. It’s easy. Basically a gift from Bethesda.
The Strength bobblehead is a different story. It’s perched on top of a massive wall sculpture in the lobby of the Mass Fusion Building. You have to climb several floors and look down. It’s easy to miss if you aren't looking at the ceiling like a crazy person.
Intelligence is tucked away in the Boston Public Library. It’s in the mechanical room, northwest corner. The library is a war zone between Super Mutants and Protectrons. Expect a fight.
Agility is at the very tip of the Wreck of the FMS Northern Star. You have to walk out onto a wooden platform over the ocean at the ship's bow. One wrong step and you’re taking a radioactive bath.
For Luck, you’re heading to Spectacle Island. Look for a green tugboat on the southern shore. It’s inside a locker. Getting here is a pain because of the Mirelurks, so bring some heavy firepower.
Endurance sits on a desk in the heart of Poseidon Energy. This place is crawling with Raiders and turrets. It’s a slog, but the permanent health boost is worth the ammo.
The Charisma bobblehead is the trickiest because it’s quest-locked. You can’t just walk into Parsons State Insane Asylum. You have to start "The Secret of Cabot House" questline. Once you’re inside the administration area, it’s on Jack Cabot’s desk.
Skill Bobbleheads: The Real Game Changers
The S.P.E.C.I.A.L. ones are flashy, but the skill bobbleheads are where the real utility lives.
Take the Repair bobblehead. It’s at the Corvega Assembly Plant, way up on the roof at the end of a blue catwalk. It makes Fusion Cores last 10% longer. If you live in Power Armor, this is your holy grail.
Combat and Utility Locations
- Small Guns: Gunners Plaza. It’s on the broadcast desk in the "on-air" room. Warning: The Gunners here don't play around.
- Energy Weapons: Deep in the Fort Hagen Command Center. Look between two refrigerators in the kitchen area. You’ll pass this while hunting Kellogg.
- Explosives: Saugus Ironworks. It’s on the catwalk in the Blast Furnace area where you fight Slag.
- Medicine: Vault 81. You need to do the "Hole in the Wall" quest. It’s in Curie’s office.
- Science: Vault 75 (Malden Middle School). It’s on a desk overlooking the training area.
- Sneak: Dunwich Borers. This place is creepy. The bobblehead is on a small table next to a lantern near Terminal 4.
The Speech bobblehead is another one most people grab during the main story. It’s in Vault 114 (Park Street Station), right on the desk where you rescue Nick Valentine. It gives all vendors 100 more caps, which sounds small but adds up when you're trying to offload 400 pounds of desk fans and wonderglue.
The Ones Everyone Misses
People always forget the Unarmed bobblehead at the Atom Cats Garage. It’s sitting right on the hood of a rusty car in the main warehouse. It’s probably the easiest one to grab in the whole game, yet players skip it because the location is so far south.
Then there’s the Lock Picking bobblehead. It’s in the Pickman Gallery. You have to go all the way down into the tunnels where Pickman is being cornered. It’s sitting on the ground between some brick pillars. It’s dark, it’s gross, and if you aren't spamming the pickup button, you'll walk right past it.
The Barter bobblehead is in Longneck Lukowski’s Cannery. Head to the upper office area overlooking the room where they process the... "meat." It’s on the desk.
Why You Should Care About the "Bobblehead Stand"
Don't just keep these in your inventory. Build a Bobblehead Stand in your settlement.
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When you place them on the stand, you keep the permanent stat bonus, but you also get to see your progress. It’s a psychological win. Plus, it makes your base look like you actually know what you're doing in the wasteland.
Actionable Strategy for Your Next Run
- Map your route. Don't wander aimlessly. If you're going to Diamond City, detour to the Boston Public Library for Intelligence.
- Stat check. Decide now if you want those 11-point stats. If you do, don't touch the S.P.E.C.I.A.L. bobbleheads until your base stat is 10.
- The "Big Three" Priority. Get Perception (Concord), Repair (Corvega), and Intelligence (Library) within your first five hours. The XP boost from Intelligence and the Fusion Core efficiency from Repair will save you hours of grinding later.
- Check the corners. Most of these are tucked behind terminals or under desks. If a room looks important or has a "boss" enemy, there’s a 90% chance a bobblehead or a magazine is within ten feet of you.
Start with the Museum of Freedom since you're heading there anyway. From there, head south to Corvega. The Commonwealth is a big place, but it's a lot smaller when you're rocking maxed-out stats.
Next Steps for the Sole Survivor:
- Verify your current S.P.E.C.I.A.L. levels before picking up the Strength or Agility bobbleheads to ensure you hit the level 11 cap.
- Clear the Saugus Ironworks early if you rely on grenades; that 15% damage boost from the Explosives bobblehead is massive for early-game crowd control.
- Build a display stand in Sanctuary or Red Rocket immediately to track which of the 20 you’re still missing.