How to build Area 51 in Minecraft

The most secret air base in the world, out in the Nevada desert. A fence with RESTRICTED AREA signs rings the site and a guard gate with a striped barrier lets the road in. Inside are two curved aircraft hangars, one with its doors wide open on a crashed flying saucer surrounded by scaffolding, work lights and scientists in yellow hazmat suits, plus a long runway with edge lights, a black stealth bomber on the apron, radar dishes, antenna towers and a control building with a glass-topped tower. The whole site is a slice of desert: its south face is cut away to show the underground lab, where alien specimens float in glowing green tubes around an autopsy table. Banded red mesas and Joshua trees fill the desert, a UFO is beaming a cow up off the mesa, and one little grey alien is tiptoeing out of the lab hatch.

• DifficultyAdvanced
• Size98 × 70, 40 layers tall
• Blocks17,791
• Build time10–14 hours
• CategorySci-Fi Builds

Open the interactive 3D plan above to build it one layer at a time: every layer has a numbered top-down plan, a block list and full-screen step-by-step instructions you can tick off as you go. You can also download it for Litematica, WorldEdit or Minecraft Bedrock, or view it in your room in AR.

Materials list

Building tips

1. Start with the ground: one layer of sand 100 × 72, then paint the runway, taxiway, apron and road into it. Every other part is measured from those lines.
2. The underground lab only needs the edges of the block of desert. Build the strata walls around the outside (they are hollow inside), then floor and wall the lab and leave its south side open as the cutaway.
3. The hangars are half-circles extruded along z. Mark the arch on the back wall first (a radius 9 and a radius 12 semicircle), then run each row of the arch straight forward. A darker rib every fourth row makes the curve read.
4. The saucer is tilted: build it as normal discs, but lift each block by a quarter of its distance east of the centre. The west rim ends up resting on the floor like it skidded in.
5. Lime stained glass in front of sea lanterns gives the specimen tubes, the saucer dome and the tractor beam their green glow. Try Night lighting to see the whole base light up.
6. The stealth bomber is just two layers of black concrete. Draw the outline on the apron first: a leading edge that steps back one block every two, and a sawtooth trailing edge.
7. Joshua trees are a trunk of spruce log that splits into two or three arms, each ending in a spiky tuft of green terracotta and acacia leaves.

Step-by-step: all 40 layers

1. Layer 1 Smooth Stone ×390, White Concrete ×390, Red Terracotta ×263, White Terracotta ×30, Yellow Concrete ×20, Black Concrete ×19
2. Layer 2 Orange Terracotta ×264, Block of Iron ×88, White Concrete ×80, White Terracotta ×29, Black Concrete ×28, Yellow Concrete ×16, Sea Lantern ×9, Polished Blackstone ×7, Light Gray Concrete ×3, Spruce Planks ×3, Spruce Log ×2, Ladder ×1
3. Layer 3 Yellow Terracotta ×250, White Concrete ×80, Lime Stained Glass ×61, White Terracotta ×43, Smooth Quartz Block ×21, Glass ×7, Light Gray Concrete ×7, Block of Iron ×4, Cyan Stained Glass ×4, Lime Concrete ×2, Spruce Planks ×2, End Rod ×1, Ladder ×1, Yellow Concrete ×1
4. Layer 4 Sandstone ×259, Light Gray Concrete ×97, Lime Stained Glass ×52, White Terracotta ×35, Black Concrete ×9, Glass ×8, Block of Iron ×4, Sea Lantern ×4, Lime Concrete ×2, Cyan Stained Glass ×1, Ladder ×1
5. Layer 5 Orange Terracotta ×266, White Concrete ×79, Lime Stained Glass ×52, White Terracotta ×27, Glass ×8, Gray Concrete ×3, Black Concrete ×2, Green Concrete ×2, Light Gray Concrete ×2, Ladder ×1
6. Layer 6 Smooth Sandstone ×267, White Concrete ×77, Block of Iron ×76, White Terracotta ×26, Gray Concrete ×19, Lantern ×18, Glass ×8, Sea Lantern ×6, Ladder ×1
7. Layer 7 Sand ×3374, Light Gray Concrete ×1553, Gray Concrete ×898, Smooth Sandstone ×253, White Concrete ×226, Yellow Concrete ×147, Yellow Terracotta ×141, Gravel ×112, Black Concrete ×84, Smooth Stone ×48, Glowstone ×10, Sea Lantern ×8, Polished Blackstone ×5, Ladder ×1
8. Layer 8 Iron Bars ×272, Light Gray Concrete ×131, Gray Concrete ×54, White Concrete ×53, Smooth Sandstone ×43, Orange Terracotta ×40, Block of Iron ×35, White Terracotta ×27, Spruce Log ×15, Cut Sandstone ×10, Spruce Planks ×10, Oak Sapling ×9, Yellow Concrete ×5, Ladder ×2, Spruce Door ×2, Black Concrete ×1, Green Concrete ×1
9. Layer 9 Iron Bars ×272, Light Gray Concrete ×130, Black Concrete ×119, Gray Concrete ×51, Block of Iron ×50, Smooth Sandstone ×43, Orange Terracotta ×39, Cyan Stained Glass ×31, Red Concrete ×29, Yellow Terracotta ×27, White Concrete ×17, Spruce Log ×13, Glass Pane ×12, Sea Lantern ×11, Cut Sandstone ×10, Lime Stained Glass ×7, Yellow Concrete ×4, Ladder ×2, Spruce Planks ×2, Brown Terracotta ×1, Green Concrete ×1
10. Layer 10 Light Gray Concrete ×196, White Concrete ×89, Block of Iron ×67, Gray Concrete ×51, Smooth Sandstone ×43, Black Concrete ×41, White Terracotta ×39, Yellow Terracotta ×27, Iron Bars ×18, Spruce Log ×16, Cut Sandstone ×10, Sea Lantern ×7, Lime Stained Glass ×5, Acacia Leaves ×4, Black Stained Glass ×3, Cyan Stained Glass ×3, Ladder ×2, Lantern ×2, Spruce Planks ×2, Green Terracotta ×1
11. Layer 11 Light Gray Concrete ×242, Block of Iron ×105, Gray Concrete ×91, White Terracotta ×88, White Concrete ×80, Smooth Sandstone ×67, Red Concrete ×30, Orange Terracotta ×27, Spruce Slab ×27, Cut Sandstone ×20, Spruce Log ×19, Sea Lantern ×10, Iron Bars ×8, Acacia Leaves ×5, Black Concrete ×4, Lime Stained Glass ×4, Black Stained Glass ×1, Green Terracotta ×1, Ladder ×1, Redstone Lamp (lit) ×1
12. Layer 12 Block of Iron ×115, Light Gray Concrete ×101, White Concrete ×99, White Terracotta ×50, Smooth Sandstone ×41, Yellow Terracotta ×37, Orange Terracotta ×25, Smooth Stone Slab ×23, Red Concrete ×20, Spruce Log ×16, Black Concrete ×14, Lime Stained Glass ×11, Cut Sandstone ×10, Acacia Leaves ×9, Gray Concrete ×8, Spruce Planks ×6, Iron Bars ×5, Sea Lantern ×3, Green Terracotta ×2, End Rod ×1, Ladder ×1, Redstone Lamp (lit) ×1
13. Layer 13 White Concrete ×189, Light Gray Concrete ×79, Smooth Sandstone ×65, Block of Iron ×36, Yellow Terracotta ×36, Acacia Leaves ×34, Cyan Stained Glass ×33, Brown Terracotta ×25, Red Concrete ×25, Glowstone ×21, Cut Sandstone ×20, White Terracotta ×20, Black Concrete ×14, Iron Bars ×14, Lime Stained Glass ×14, Gray Concrete ×8, Green Terracotta ×8, Spruce Log ×7, Sea Lantern ×6, Redstone Lamp (lit) ×2, Ladder ×1
14. Layer 14 White Concrete ×124, Light Gray Concrete ×65, White Terracotta ×50, Smooth Sandstone ×39, Orange Terracotta ×36, Acacia Leaves ×28, Block of Iron ×26, Lime Stained Glass ×24, Brown Terracotta ×23, Red Concrete ×20, Iron Bars ×18, Cut Sandstone ×10, Black Concrete ×6, Gray Concrete ×5, Green Terracotta ×5, Spruce Log ×2, Ladder ×1
15. Layer 15 Gray Concrete ×181, White Concrete ×132, Smooth Sandstone ×113, Light Gray Concrete ×56, Orange Terracotta ×37, Red Concrete ×34, Spruce Slab ×27, Block of Iron ×21, Cut Sandstone ×20, Iron Bars ×15, Acacia Leaves ×9, Lime Stained Glass ×9, Black Concrete ×4, Sea Lantern ×4, End Rod ×1, Green Terracotta ×1, Spruce Log ×1
16. Layer 16 White Concrete ×195, Smooth Sandstone ×83, Red Concrete ×61, Light Gray Concrete ×49, Brown Terracotta ×36, Block of Iron ×31, Cut Sandstone ×30, Iron Bars ×13, Acacia Leaves ×5, Gray Concrete ×1, Green Terracotta ×1
17. Layer 17 Smooth Sandstone ×91, Light Gray Concrete ×47, Block of Iron ×36, Cut Sandstone ×35, Brown Terracotta ×34, White Concrete ×24, Iron Bars ×4, Acacia Leaves ×1, Redstone Lamp (lit) ×1, Sea Lantern ×1
18. Layer 18 Light Gray Concrete ×75, White Concrete ×36, Block of Iron ×35, Red Terracotta ×34, Iron Bars ×8, Sea Lantern ×1
19. Layer 19 Light Gray Concrete ×87, Red Terracotta ×34, Block of Iron ×31, White Concrete ×21, Iron Bars ×8, Sea Lantern ×4
20. Layer 20 Light Gray Concrete ×112, Smooth Sandstone ×108, Block of Iron ×42, White Concrete ×16, Iron Bars ×8
21. Layer 21 White Concrete ×16, Iron Bars ×8, Lime Stained Glass ×5
22. Layer 22 White Concrete ×18, Block of Iron ×8, Lime Stained Glass ×5, Red Concrete ×2
23. Layer 23 Light Gray Concrete ×16, Iron Bars ×8, Lime Stained Glass ×5
24. Layer 24 Gray Concrete ×49, Iron Bars ×5, Lime Stained Glass ×5
25. Layer 25 Cyan Stained Glass ×20, Black Concrete ×9, Iron Bars ×5, Lime Stained Glass ×5, White Concrete ×4
26. Layer 26 Cyan Stained Glass ×20, Iron Bars ×5, White Concrete ×4, Lime Stained Glass ×3, Black Concrete ×1, Sea Lantern ×1, White Wool ×1
27. Layer 27 Cyan Stained Glass ×20, Block of Iron ×4, White Concrete ×4, Lime Stained Glass ×2, White Wool ×2, Black Concrete ×1, Iron Bars ×1, Pink Wool ×1
28. Layer 28 Gray Concrete ×49, Iron Bars ×5, White Wool ×3, Lime Stained Glass ×2, Black Concrete ×1
29. Layer 29 Iron Bars ×5, End Rod ×2, Lime Stained Glass ×1, Redstone Lamp (lit) ×1
30. Layer 30 Iron Bars ×2, Lime Stained Glass ×1
31. Layer 31 Iron Bars ×2, Lime Stained Glass ×1
32. Layer 32 Iron Bars ×2, Lime Stained Glass ×1
33. Layer 33 Iron Bars ×2, Lime Stained Glass ×1
34. Layer 34 Iron Bars ×1, Lime Stained Glass ×1, Redstone Lamp (lit) ×1
35. Layer 35 Lime Stained Glass ×1, Redstone Lamp (lit) ×1
36. Layer 36 Block of Iron ×20, Sea Lantern ×1
37. Layer 37 Light Gray Concrete ×69, Lime Stained Glass ×8, Sea Lantern ×8
38. Layer 38 Block of Iron ×37
39. Layer 39 Lime Stained Glass ×20, Glowstone ×1
40. Layer 40 Lime Stained Glass ×1

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