How to build Mountain Observatory in Minecraft

A research observatory on top of a rocky mountain. A road with lanterns winds up the slopes past spruce trees to the flat summit, where a big white dome stands with its observing slit open and a huge telescope pointing out at the sky. Beside it are a smaller silver dome, a radio dish tilted at the stars, a staff lodge joined to the dome by a glass corridor, a weather mast with a red warning light, and a black plaza set with a glowing star map. At night the consoles, road lights and star map all glow.

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

BlockAmountStacks
Stone2,97546 stacks + 31
Andesite1,79428 stacks + 2
Spruce Leaves1,12717 stacks + 39
Grass Block83513 stacks + 3
Cobblestone75111 stacks + 47
White Concrete64710 stacks + 7
Gravel64510 stacks + 5
Polished Blackstone4617 stacks + 13
Light Gray Concrete3415 stacks + 21
Black Concrete2033 stacks + 11
Smooth Quartz Block1983 stacks + 6
Smooth Stone1532 stacks + 25
Block of Iron1482 stacks + 20
Polished Andesite1442 stacks + 16
Cobblestone Wall1181 stack + 54
Blue Concrete1121 stack + 48
Moss Block1111 stack + 47
Spruce Log1091 stack + 45
Smooth Stone Slab901 stack + 26
Spruce Planks901 stack + 26
Spruce Fence741 stack + 10
Gray Concrete62
Iron Bars57
Lantern47
Stone Brick Slab43
Yellow Concrete42
Blue Stained Glass40
Glass37
Smooth Quartz Slab31
Stone Bricks26
Glass Pane25
Sea Lantern22
Spruce Slab13
Light Blue Stained Glass11
Glowstone8
Redstone Lamp (lit)7
Ladder5
Birch Door3
Quartz Block3
Bookshelf2
Red Bed2
Spruce Door2
Spruce Stairs2
Crafting Table1
End Rod1
Furnace1
White Bed1

Building tips

  1. Shape the mountain first. Mark a flat summit 37 blocks across, then step the slopes down about one block for every block out. Only the outer skin needs to be solid; leave the inside hollow to save stone.
  2. Lay out the road before you finish the slopes. Cut a 3-wide shelf that climbs one block every seven or eight blocks, and put a wall on the outer edge with a lantern every ten blocks.
  3. Build the dome as a hemisphere one layer at a time: radii 7, 7, 7, 6, 6, 5, 4, 2 above a round wall. Leave a 5-wide strip open from the rim over the top for the slit.
  4. Build the telescope tube as a fat diagonal line. Each block up, move about one and a half blocks out, and keep the tube three or four blocks across. Black rings every few blocks make it read as a telescope.
  5. The radio dish is a shallow bowl. Build it flat first (a disc of radius 5) and then raise the rim one block for the outer two rings before tilting it in your head towards the sky.
  6. Sea lanterns set flush into black concrete make a star map you can walk on. Try the Big Dipper or Orion.

Step-by-step: all 46 layers

  1. Layer 1 Grass Block ×82, Stone ×63, Andesite ×54, Cobblestone ×24, Moss Block ×23, Gravel ×16
  2. Layer 2 Stone ×84, Andesite ×57, Grass Block ×56, Cobblestone ×24, Moss Block ×9, Gravel ×6, Spruce Log ×2
  3. Layer 3 Stone ×66, Grass Block ×64, Andesite ×59, Cobblestone ×24, Polished Blackstone ×16, Gravel ×15, Moss Block ×11, Spruce Log ×3, Yellow Concrete ×2
  4. Layer 4 Stone ×102, Grass Block ×75, Spruce Leaves ×50, Andesite ×36, Cobblestone ×20, Polished Blackstone ×20, Moss Block ×13, Gravel ×8, Spruce Log ×4, Yellow Concrete ×2
  5. Layer 5 Grass Block ×83, Stone ×80, Spruce Leaves ×66, Andesite ×45, Cobblestone ×22, Polished Blackstone ×22, Moss Block ×12, Gravel ×11, Spruce Log ×6, Cobblestone Wall ×3, Yellow Concrete ×2, Spruce Fence ×1
  6. Layer 6 Grass Block ×89, Stone ×76, Spruce Leaves ×68, Andesite ×47, Polished Blackstone ×21, Cobblestone ×19, Moss Block ×11, Spruce Log ×8, Gravel ×5, Cobblestone Wall ×2, Spruce Fence ×1, Yellow Concrete ×1
  7. Layer 7 Spruce Leaves ×105, Grass Block ×79, Stone ×79, Andesite ×45, Cobblestone ×20, Polished Blackstone ×18, Moss Block ×17, Spruce Log ×9, Cobblestone Wall ×6, Gravel ×6, Spruce Fence ×2, Lantern ×1, Yellow Concrete ×1
  8. Layer 8 Spruce Leaves ×121, Stone ×81, Grass Block ×72, Andesite ×38, Cobblestone ×22, Polished Blackstone ×19, Moss Block ×15, Spruce Log ×10, Gravel ×8, Cobblestone Wall ×3, Spruce Fence ×3, Yellow Concrete ×2
  9. Layer 9 Spruce Leaves ×134, Stone ×88, Andesite ×75, Grass Block ×45, Cobblestone ×24, Polished Blackstone ×15, Spruce Log ×11, Gravel ×9, Cobblestone Wall ×4, Lantern ×2, Spruce Fence ×2, Yellow Concrete ×2
  10. Layer 10 Spruce Leaves ×119, Stone ×105, Andesite ×58, Grass Block ×46, Cobblestone ×33, Polished Blackstone ×19, Gravel ×12, Spruce Log ×10, Cobblestone Wall ×5, Spruce Fence ×3, Lantern ×1, Yellow Concrete ×1
  11. Layer 11 Stone ×90, Spruce Leaves ×89, Andesite ×71, Grass Block ×39, Cobblestone ×24, Polished Blackstone ×18, Gravel ×12, Spruce Log ×9, Cobblestone Wall ×7, Spruce Fence ×3, Yellow Concrete ×2, Lantern ×1
  12. Layer 12 Stone ×89, Spruce Leaves ×88, Andesite ×46, Cobblestone ×33, Grass Block ×33, Gravel ×16, Polished Blackstone ×16, Spruce Log ×11, Cobblestone Wall ×6, Spruce Fence ×3, Lantern ×2, Yellow Concrete ×1
  13. Layer 13 Stone ×76, Spruce Leaves ×51, Grass Block ×44, Andesite ×39, Cobblestone ×26, Gravel ×19, Polished Blackstone ×17, Spruce Log ×8, Cobblestone Wall ×3, Spruce Fence ×3, Lantern ×1, Yellow Concrete ×1
  14. Layer 14 Stone ×95, Spruce Leaves ×90, Andesite ×46, Grass Block ×28, Cobblestone ×19, Polished Blackstone ×17, Gravel ×9, Cobblestone Wall ×6, Spruce Log ×6, Spruce Fence ×3, Lantern ×2, Yellow Concrete ×2
  15. Layer 15 Stone ×107, Spruce Leaves ×58, Andesite ×46, Cobblestone ×25, Polished Blackstone ×17, Gravel ×12, Cobblestone Wall ×6, Spruce Log ×4, Spruce Fence ×3, Yellow Concrete ×2, Lantern ×1
  16. Layer 16 Stone ×102, Andesite ×57, Spruce Leaves ×45, Polished Blackstone ×17, Cobblestone ×16, Gravel ×8, Cobblestone Wall ×7, Spruce Fence ×3, Spruce Log ×3, Lantern ×2, Yellow Concrete ×1
  17. Layer 17 Stone ×90, Andesite ×51, Spruce Leaves ×26, Cobblestone ×24, Polished Blackstone ×16, Gravel ×11, Cobblestone Wall ×4, Spruce Fence ×3, Spruce Log ×2, Lantern ×1, Yellow Concrete ×1
  18. Layer 18 Stone ×96, Andesite ×49, Cobblestone ×26, Polished Blackstone ×14, Gravel ×10, Spruce Leaves ×9, Cobblestone Wall ×2, Lantern ×2, Spruce Log ×2, Yellow Concrete ×2, Spruce Fence ×1
  19. Layer 19 Stone ×96, Andesite ×54, Gravel ×14, Polished Blackstone ×14, Cobblestone ×11, Cobblestone Wall ×8, Spruce Leaves ×5, Spruce Fence ×2, Lantern ×1, Spruce Log ×1, Yellow Concrete ×1
  20. Layer 20 Stone ×83, Andesite ×50, Cobblestone ×23, Polished Blackstone ×17, Cobblestone Wall ×8, Gravel ×5, Spruce Fence ×5, Yellow Concrete ×3, Spruce Leaves ×2
  21. Layer 21 Stone ×79, Andesite ×39, Cobblestone ×25, Polished Blackstone ×15, Gravel ×12, White Concrete ×9, Cobblestone Wall ×5, Spruce Fence ×5, Lantern ×2, Spruce Leaves ×1, Yellow Concrete ×1
  22. Layer 22 Stone ×72, Andesite ×37, Cobblestone ×17, White Concrete ×15, Polished Blackstone ×13, Gravel ×10, Cobblestone Wall ×4, Lantern ×3, Spruce Fence ×3, Yellow Concrete ×2
  23. Layer 23 Stone ×70, Andesite ×45, Cobblestone ×18, Polished Blackstone ×14, Gravel ×12, White Concrete ×7, Cobblestone Wall ×4, Spruce Fence ×3, Lantern ×2, Yellow Concrete ×2
  24. Layer 24 Stone ×73, Andesite ×48, Cobblestone ×15, Polished Blackstone ×12, Gravel ×9, White Concrete ×9, Cobblestone Wall ×6, Spruce Fence ×3, Lantern ×1, Yellow Concrete ×1
  25. Layer 25 Stone ×65, Andesite ×55, Cobblestone ×15, Polished Blackstone ×12, Gravel ×11, White Concrete ×10, Cobblestone Wall ×4, Spruce Fence ×3, Lantern ×2, Yellow Concrete ×2
  26. Layer 26 Stone ×80, Andesite ×45, Gravel ×14, Polished Blackstone ×14, Cobblestone ×13, White Concrete ×9, Cobblestone Wall ×3, Spruce Fence ×3, Lantern ×1, Yellow Concrete ×1
  27. Layer 27 Stone ×76, Andesite ×36, Cobblestone ×24, Gravel ×15, Polished Blackstone ×11, White Concrete ×8, Cobblestone Wall ×4, Spruce Fence ×3, Lantern ×2, Yellow Concrete ×2
  28. Layer 28 Stone ×573, Andesite ×327, Cobblestone ×149, Gravel ×96, Polished Blackstone ×5, White Concrete ×5, Cobblestone Wall ×4, Spruce Fence ×3, Lantern ×1, Yellow Concrete ×1
  29. Layer 29 Gravel ×253, Black Concrete ×174, Polished Andesite ×144, Andesite ×132, Stone ×129, Spruce Planks ×80, Smooth Stone ×69, Smooth Quartz Block ×37, Polished Blackstone ×34, Cobblestone ×15, Sea Lantern ×15, Glowstone ×8, Cobblestone Wall ×4, White Concrete ×3, Lantern ×2, Spruce Fence ×2, Stone Bricks ×1, Yellow Concrete ×1
  30. Layer 30 Stone Brick Slab ×43, White Concrete ×34, Smooth Quartz Block ×32, Light Gray Concrete ×30, Stone Bricks ×25, Gray Concrete ×14, Polished Blackstone ×9, Glass ×8, Stone ×7, Andesite ×5, Black Concrete ×4, Smooth Stone Slab ×4, Birch Door ×3, Quartz Block ×3, Spruce Fence ×3, Red Bed ×2, Spruce Door ×2, Spruce Stairs ×2, Bookshelf ×1, Cobblestone ×1, Crafting Table ×1, Furnace ×1, Gravel ×1, Iron Bars ×1, Ladder ×1, Lantern ×1, Spruce Slab ×1, White Bed ×1
  31. Layer 31 White Concrete ×33, Smooth Quartz Block ×32, Light Gray Concrete ×31, Glass Pane ×14, Gray Concrete ×13, Glass ×8, Sea Lantern ×7, Redstone Lamp (lit) ×5, Stone ×3, Andesite ×2, Lantern ×2, Spruce Fence ×2, Bookshelf ×1, Iron Bars ×1, Ladder ×1
  32. Layer 32 White Concrete ×32, Smooth Quartz Block ×27, Light Gray Concrete ×26, Glass ×19, Gray Concrete ×13, Glass Pane ×11, Smooth Stone Slab ×9, Lantern ×8, Light Blue Stained Glass ×6, Iron Bars ×1, Ladder ×1
  33. Layer 33 Light Gray Concrete ×53, Smooth Quartz Slab ×31, Smooth Quartz Block ×30, Gray Concrete ×13, Spruce Slab ×12, Spruce Planks ×10, Light Blue Stained Glass ×5, Lantern ×3, Iron Bars ×1, Ladder ×1
  34. Layer 34 Smooth Stone ×84, Smooth Stone Slab ×77, Smooth Quartz Block ×40, Block of Iron ×31, Light Gray Concrete ×10, Gray Concrete ×9, Iron Bars ×1, Ladder ×1
  35. Layer 35 Block of Iron ×51, Light Gray Concrete ×51, Blue Stained Glass ×40, Iron Bars ×28, Polished Blackstone ×9
  36. Layer 36 White Concrete ×48, Block of Iron ×21, Light Gray Concrete ×16, Blue Concrete ×7, Iron Bars ×1
  37. Layer 37 White Concrete ×69, Block of Iron ×36, Light Gray Concrete ×21, Blue Concrete ×11, Iron Bars ×2
  38. Layer 38 White Concrete ×103, Light Gray Concrete ×19, Block of Iron ×9, Blue Concrete ×9, Black Concrete ×3, Iron Bars ×3
  39. Layer 39 White Concrete ×67, Light Gray Concrete ×11, Blue Concrete ×7, Black Concrete ×5, Iron Bars ×4
  40. Layer 40 White Concrete ×81, Light Gray Concrete ×14, Blue Concrete ×11, Black Concrete ×5, Iron Bars ×3
  41. Layer 41 White Concrete ×63, Light Gray Concrete ×19, Blue Concrete ×13, Iron Bars ×10, Black Concrete ×2, Redstone Lamp (lit) ×1
  42. Layer 42 White Concrete ×39, Light Gray Concrete ×27, Blue Concrete ×14, Black Concrete ×1, End Rod ×1, Iron Bars ×1
  43. Layer 43 Blue Concrete ×17, Light Gray Concrete ×13, White Concrete ×3, Black Concrete ×1, Redstone Lamp (lit) ×1
  44. Layer 44 Blue Concrete ×15, Black Concrete ×2
  45. Layer 45 Blue Concrete ×7, Black Concrete ×3, Glass ×1
  46. Layer 46 Black Concrete ×3, Blue Concrete ×1, Glass ×1

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