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Blue arrow right List of natural wonders
Blue arrow right List of buildings
Blue arrow right Main Building article


A Wonder is a mega-building, which may be unique in the world, and provides exceptional bonuses. All Wonders are inspired by real-world buildings and landmarks. Note that the effect of each wonder only applies to the civilization controlling the city where it is built; also, many Wonders have on-build effects which won't activate again if another civilization captures their city. 

Besides their main unique bonuses, most Wonders produce additional benefits such as Gold Gold Gold or Faith Faith Faith, and all of them produce at least 1 Culture Culture Culture. All of these stat bonuses apply directly to the city where the Wonder is built (if applicable). Also, most Wonders produce Great People Points of some kind - check their info blocks for the details.

This page lists all World and National Wonders available in Civilization V, as well as Projects.

In Brave New World, some of the wonders can now be built only after adopting a certain policy tree or ideology. For example, to build the Forbidden Palace, the Patronage policy tree must have been started.

World Wonders

Only one of these can exist in the world. If multiple civilizations would complete building it on the same turn, whichever has the most excess production will get the wonder.

Ancient Era

Classical Era

  • Colossus Colossus: +1 Gold Gold Gold from water tiles worked by this City; (BNW-only +5 Gold Gold Gold, Provides an additional Trade Route, a free Cargo Ship, and more Gold Gold Gold for Trade Routes connecting to this city), +1 GPP GreatPeople5 Great People towards Great Merchant
  • Great Lighthouse Great Lighthouse: All military naval units receive +1 Movement and +1 Sight. Provides a free Lighthouse in the City where the Wonder was built. +1 GPP GreatPeople5 Great People towards Great Merchant.
  • Great Wall Great Wall: Enemy land units must spend 1 extra movement point when inside your territory. Provides a free Walls in the City where the Wonder was built, +1 GPP GreatPeople5 Great People towards Great Engineer
  • Hanging Gardens Hanging Gardens: +10 Food Food Food in the City where the Wonder was built (GodsKings5 clear +6 Food Food Food and provides a free Garden in the City where the Wonder was built; BNW-only Requires Tradition)
  • Oracle Oracle: 1 free Social Policy, +1 GPP GreatPeople5 Great People towards Great Scientist
  • Parthenon Parthenon (BNW-only): Contains a Great Work slot, filled with a pre-built Great Work of Art.  
  • Petra Petra (GodsKings5 clear): +1 Gold Gold Gold, Production Production Production, and Food Food Food for each desert tile worked by this city. (BNW-only  Same for Food Food Food and Production Production Production, but no Gold Gold Gold per tile; provides an additional Trade Route and free Caravan) and +6 Culture Culture Culture when Archaeology is discovered. Provides a free Amphitheater in the City where the Wonder was built (not in BNW-only). +1 GPP GreatPeople5 Great People towards Great Engineer
  • Terracotta Army Terracotta Army (GodsKings5 clear): +6 Culture Culture Culture (BNW-only +1 Culture Culture Culture and creates a copy of each type of military land unit the civilization currently owns.

Medieval Era

Renaissance Era

  • Forbidden Palace Forbidden Palace: Unhappiness (Civ5) Unhappiness Unhappiness from number of citizens in non-occupied cities reduced by 10% (BNW-only Requires Patronage; also provides 2 additional Delegates for the World Congress).
  • Globe Theatre Globe Theatre (BNW-only): A Great Writer appears near the City where the Wonder was built. Contains 2 slots for Great Works of Writing.
  • Himeji Castle Himeji Castle: +15% Melee strength Melee strength Combat Strength for units fighting in friendly territory. Provides a free Castle in the City where the Wonder was built. +2 GPP GreatPeople5 Great People towards Great Engineer
  • Leaning Tower of Pisa Leaning Tower of Pisa (GodsKings5 clear): +25% boost to Great People generation in all cities and generates a Great Person of the builder's choice.
  • Porcelain Tower Porcelain Tower: A Great Scientist appears near the City where the Wonder was built and 50% more Science Science Science from research agreements (BNW-only Requires Rationalism). +2 GPP GreatPeople5 Great People towards Great Scientist
  • Red Fort Red Fort (BNW-only): Defensive Buildings in all Cities are 25% more effective.
  • Sistine Chapel Sistine Chapel: +25% Culture Culture Culture in all Cities (BNW-only Also has 2 slots for Great Works of Art).
  • Taj Mahal Taj Mahal: +4 20xHappiness5 Happiness Happiness and starts a Golden Age.
  • Uffizi Uffizi (BNW-only): Requires Aesthetics. A Great Artist appears near the City where the Wonder was built. Contains 3 slots for Great Works of Art.

Industrial Era

  • Big Ben Big Ben: Cost of Gold Gold Gold purchasing in all cities reduced by 15% (BNW-only Requires Commerce). +2 GPP GreatPeople5 Great People towards Great Merchant
  • Brandenburg Gate Brandenburg Gate: A Great General appears near the Capital Capital Capital and +15 experience for all new units built in this city. +2 GPP GreatPeople5 Great People towards Great Scientist
  • Louvre Louvre: 2 Great Artists appear near the Capital Capital Capital (BNW-only Requires Exploration; +2 Culture Culture Culture, a Great Artist appears near the City where the Wonder was built, and contains 4 slots for Great Works of Art).

Modern Era

Atomic Era

  • Great Firewall Great Firewall (GodsKings5 clear): Prevents 99.9% technology theft in the City where the Wonder was built and reduces technology theft in all other cities by 25%. (BNW-only Also eliminates Tourism Tourism Tourism bonus other civilizations receive from The Internet technology).
  • Pentagon Pentagon: Gold Gold Gold cost of upgrading military units reduced by 33%. +2 GPP GreatPeople5 Great People towards Great Merchant
  • Sydney Opera House Sydney Opera House: +50% Culture Culture Culture in the City where the Wonder was built and 1 free Social Policy (BNW-only Also has 2 slots for Great Work of Music).

Information Era

Other

  • International Space Station International Space Station (BNW-only): +1 Production Production Production from Scientists and +1 Science Science Science from Engineers, and Great Scientists provide 33% more Science Science Science when used to discover new technology; Also gives a Free Great Scientist and a one-time Research boost (Cannot be built, only given to the Civilization that has contributed the most Production to its construction, after its construction has been voted for in the World Congress).
  • United Nations United Nations: Triggers voting for a Diplomatic Victory (Cannot be built in BNW).

National Wonders

These are special wonders which can only be built once a certain building has been built in all cities the civilization controls directly (that is, excluding Puppet cities). Only one of these can exist in a single civilization, but each civilization can build one for itself (so, there is no competition here). Note that the Palace cannot be built: it is automatically built when a civilization's first city is founded. The Grand Temple must be built in a Holy City.

Wonder Required building Effect
Circus Maximus Circus Maximus Colosseum Colosseum +5 20xHappiness5 Happiness Happiness
East India Company East India Company (BNW-only) Market Market Trade routes sent to this city generate +4 Gold Gold Gold and the owners of the trade routes gain +2 Gold Gold Gold
Grand Temple Grand Temple (GodsKings5 clear) Temple Temple Doubles religious pressure emanating from this city. Must be built in holy city
Hermitage Hermitage Opera house Opera house +50% Culture Culture Culture gain (BNW-only Also has 3 slots for Great Works of Art)
Heroic Epic Heroic Epic Barracks Barracks Provides +15% greater Melee strength Melee strength Combat Strength to all units built in this city (BNW-only Also has 1 slot for Great Work of Writing)
Ironworks Ironworks Workshop Workshop +8 Production Production Production
National College National College Library Library +3 Science Science Science and +50% Science Science Science
National Epic National Epic Monument Monument +25% Great Person generation rate in this city (BNW-only Also has 1 slot for Great Work of Writing)
National Intelligence Agency National Intelligence Agency (GodsKings5 clear) Police station Police station Promotes all existing spies and grants an extra spy. Reduces the effectiveness of enemy spies by 15%
National Treasury National Treasury Market Market +8 Gold Gold Gold (BNW-only Replaced by East India Company)
National Visitor Center National Visitor Center (BNW-only) Hotel Hotel 100% Culture Culture Culture from World Wonders, National Wonders, and Culture Culture Culture-generating Improvements is added to the Tourism Tourism Tourism output of this city. +100% Tourism Tourism Tourism output from Great Works in this city
Oxford University Oxford University University University +3 Science Science Science and 1 free Technology (BNW-only Also has 2 slots for Great Works of Writing)
Palace Palace - +3 Production Production Production, Science Science Science, and Gold Gold Gold. Provides +2 City Combat Strength. Marks Capital Capital Capital (BNW-only Also has 1 slot for Great Work of Art)

Guilds

In Brave New World, three guilds were introduced. They are actually a mix between a building and a national wonder, in that they don't need a prerequisite building in every city, but only one of each can exist in a single civilization. Since they're the only means for producing Great Writers, Great Artists and Great Musicians, the urgency of their building will depend on a civilization's victory strategy.

Projects

These late-game projects grant a civilization a powerful ability once finished. They cannot be rushed using Great Engineers (except for spaceship parts if a civilization is using the Order Ideology).

  • Apollo Program Apollo Program: Begins the race to construct the parts listed below.
    • SS Booster SS Booster: One of the parts required to trigger a Science Victory. Unlike other parts, 3 of these are required. Multiple cities can produce one at once, but no more than 3 can be built.
    • SS Cockpit SS Cockpit: One of the parts required to trigger a Science Victory.
    • SS Engine SS Engine: One of the parts required to trigger a Science Victory.
    • SS Stasis Chamber SS Stasis Chamber: One of the parts required to trigger a Science Victory.
  • Manhattan Project Manhattan Project: Grants the civilization finishing it the ability to construct nuclear warheads.
  • Utopia Project Utopia Project: Grants the civilization finishing it a Cultural Victory (Cannot be built in BNW).

International Projects

Main article: International Project (Civ5)

These projects are a new feature in Brave New World. Unlike normal projects, they may only be proposed during the World Congress. If the proposition passes, the projects can be undertaken by all civilizations simultaneously. Each International Project grants prizes depending on how much the civilization was involved, based upon the Production contributed towards the project. Only the civilization that contributed the highest amount of production will get the first prize, whereas every civilization that contributed the stated amount or above will get second and third prizes. Each project may be undertaken/completed only once.

Unused Wonders

  • Panama Canal: The painting and the icon remain. The painting can randomly appear as the initial loading screen in vanilla.
  • Three Gorges Dam: The painting and the icon remain. Possibly because if it were to be included in game, like Machu Picchu and Neuschwanstein, it would have required a certain tile. In this case, it might have been a lake with a river connected to it, making it rather difficult to obtain. Its quote was going to be:
"The people turn to a benevolent ruler as water flows downwards and as wild beasts fly to the wilderness."
- Mencius
"One of the hallmarks of a great nation is its ability to rise through its feet after a fall."

GodsKings5 clear Added in the Gods & Kings expansion pack.

BNW-only Added in the Brave New World expansion pack.

Civilization V [edit]
Gods & KingsBrave New World
Lists
Eras
Concepts
Miscellaneous
† Only in vanilla Civ5
‡ Only in Gods & Kings and Brave New World
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