Starfield - Earth Guide

explorer standing on starfields barren earth


explorer standing on starfields barren earth

Earth is in a sorry state when you begin your adventure across the Starfield. Following the catastrophic events of 2203, when the Earth's magnetosphere collapsed, and the planet's atmosphere dissipated, Earth has been uninhabitable for over a century. This Earth planet guide will walk you through all of Earth's landmarks that you can find on the now-deserted planet in Starfield.

When you visit Earth, all signs of life seem to have disappeared, and the landmarks you can see are now in total ruin. Despite the barren desert surface, you can still collect some valuable resources as you explore the surface. The following resources can all be found on the Earth's surface:

  • Chlorine (Cl)
  • Lead (Pb)
  • Mercury (Hg)
  • Water (Hâ‚‚O)
  • Chlorosilane (SiH₃Cl)

What Landmarks Can You Visit on Earth in Starfield?

There are a few landmarks to visit on Earth; however, these locations cannot simply be visited. The majority of these landmarks require the player to read a book or journal found across the galaxy to reveal its location.

Below is a list of all the landmarks you can visit on Earth, information on how to find them, and their respective collectible Snow Globes.

Empire State Building

The remains of the Empire State Building, New York, on Earth in Starfield
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Found in New York, the Empire State Building is perhaps the most iconic of all the Manhattan skyscrapers. To find the Empire State Building in Starfield, you must first seek the book "Our Lost Heritage". One of the easiest ways to acquire this book is by heading to the MAST building in New Atlantis. The book can be found on the desk of the United Colonies President.

Once you've read "Our Lost Heritage", the New York landing site on Earth will become available. You'll now be able to travel to the Empire State Building, the last remaining building in New York. Be sure to pick up the New York Snow Globe when you visit, which can be found on a rock close to the tower's base.

NASA Launch Tower

The NASA Launch Tower and rocket, Florida, on Earth in Starfield
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Another landmark you can visit is the NASA Launch Tower in Cape Canaveral, Florida. You'll unlock the ability to visit here as part of the main storyline in the mission Unearthed after you explore the Nova Galactic Research Station on Luna. Once again, you can find a collectible Snow Globe at this location, located in a desk on one of the upper levels of the Tower.

Gateway Arch

The remains of the Gateway Arch, St Louis, on Earth in Starfield, with the player's ship in the foreground.
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The Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri, is another American landmark on Earth. You must find "The Price of Destiny" to unlock the St. Louis landmark. You can pick it up in the penthouse of the Mayor of Neon, on the planet Volii Alpha in the Volii system. Head to the Astral Lounge, specifically its VIP area, to enter the penthouse. Here, speak to Bayu in Booth 4 and pickpocket his penthouse key.

Once you've accessed the penthouse and picked up "The Price of Destiny" off the desk, the marker for the St. Louis landmark will appear. You'll have to head under the Gateway Arch to find the Snow Globe. You can find the collectible sitting on a rock below the archway.

US Bank Tower

The remains of the US Bank Tower, on Earth in Starfield
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The last of Earth's landmarks based in the USA, the US Bank Tower, Los Angeles, can be visited after reading the book "Hope Family Tree". This book can only be found in the Valo system on the planet Polvo. There, you'll find the settlement of Hopetown and the book above on Ron Hope's desk. You'll likely visit Hopetown through your playthrough, as it's the location of the first Freestar Collective assignment.

If you don't pick up the "Hope Family Tree" during the quest, Ron Hope's Desk cannot be accessed until completing the Accidents Happen quest as part of the Ryujin Industries faction questline, so make sure to grab it when you can. Reading the "Hope Family Tree" will unlock the Los Angeles marker on the Earth map, allowing you to visit the US Bank Tower. The Los Angeles Snow Globe can be found amongst the rubble at the tower's base.

The Shard

Player character stood in front of The Shard on Earth in Starfield
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One of the tallest buildings in Europe, the Shard, remains standing for you to visit. You'll first find a copy of "Oliver Twist" to unlock the London landmark. This can be done by visiting Sinclair's Books in Akila City, home of the Freestar Collective in the Cheyenne system. Here, you can buy a copy of Oliver Twist to read and unlock the London waypoint on the Earth map.

Travelling to London will have you arrive at what's left of The Shard. Again, there's a Snow Globe to be collected here. You can grab the London Snow Globe from on top of a boulder in front of The Shard.

Great Pyramids of Giza

The ruins of the Great Pyramids of Giza, Egypt, on Earth in Starfield
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The last remaining wonder of the ancient world, the Great Pyramids of Giza, Cairo, Egypt, can be visited in Starfield. After finding and reading "The Ancient Civilization of Egypt", you'll unlock the ability to visit the remainder of the pyramids. You can pick up "The Ancient Civilization of Egypt" at Sinclair's Books in Akila City, similar to how you obtain "Oliver Twist" for the London landmark.

Now, you can visit the two Great Pyramids by travelling to the marker on the Earth map. The Cairo Snow Globe can be found near the further away pyramid, on a stone slab near the pyramid's base.

The Cairo location also has a unique feature, as it is the only landmark on Earth with a significant cave that doesn't require you to enter a loading screen. This cave has some loot and bones within, but its most substantial feature is a glowing fungus that can be found within the cave. This is likely the last remaining source of life left on Earth since the dissipation of the atmosphere.

Burj Khalifa

The remains of the Burj Khalifa on Earth in Starfield.
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Standing at a whopping 1,120 feet, the Burj Khalifa is the tallest building in the world. It remains standing in the year 2330, meaning you can visit what remains of the Burj in Starfield. You'll need to obtain a book called "Race to the Heavens" to visit the Dubai landmark. You can find a copy of it during the Crimson Fleet faction questline, during the "Breaking the Bank" mission. As part of this mission, you'll travel to the Siren of the Stars, a luxury cruise liner.

To find "Race to the Heavens", you'll have to head to the guest quarters, to the room owned by Larry Dumbrosky. You'll find a copy of "Race to the Heavens" on his desk there. Reading the book will unlock the Dubai landmark location, allowing you to visit the Burj Khalifa. The Snow Globe collectible for this location can be found at the base of the tower, perched on a rock on the far side of the Burj.

International Commerce Centre

The remains of the International Commerce Centre, Hong Kong, on Earth in Starfield
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The International Commerce Centre in Hong Kong is another ruined skyscraper you can visit on Earth. To access the International Commerce Centre and the Hong Hong Landmark marker, grab "Maurice Lyon's Journal". Maurice Lyon is the museum director in New Homestead, located on the moon of Jupiter, Titan, in the Sol system.

Once you've procured the book from the shelf outside the museum's entrance, you can visit the International Commerce Centre. As with all the other towers, the Snow Globe for this location sits on a boulder near the damaged section of the International Commerce Centre.

Shanghai Tower

The collectible Snow Globe for Shanghai Tower on Earth in Starfield.
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Another landmark you can visit in Asia is Shanghai Tower, located in the former nation of China. To find Shanghai Tower, you'll first need to get a copy of the book "Essentials of Modern Macroeconomics". This book can be found by travelling to the Porrima system and boarding the ECS Constant, an unidentified colony ship travelling to Porrima II.

Taking an elevator up to the Residential Level on the ECS Constant, and then a subsequent elevator up to the classroom, will lead you straight to the "Essentials of Modern Macroeconomics" in front of the whiteboard. This will unlock the Shanghai landmark, allowing the player to visit Shanghai Tower. Once again, the Shanghai Snow Globe sits atop a boulder at the tower's base.

Abeno Harukas

The remains of the Abeno Harukas skyscraper landmark on Earth in Starfield.
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The final landmark you can visit on Earth is in Osaka, Japan. The Abena Harukas commercial facility was, until 2023, the tallest building in Japan. To visit this location, you'll have to read the diary of Kyosuke Nagata. Like the Burj Khalifa, the book you must read to visit the Abeno Harukas is found during the Crimson Fleet questline. You'll have to get arrested in United Colonies territories, then complete the Deep Cover mission.

Once you've begun the Crimson Fleet questline, you can access their faction base, the Key. You'll find the "Diary of Kyosuke Nagata" inside Delgado's quarters on their nightstand. Visiting the Abeno Harukas will allow you to obtain the Osaka Snow Globe collectible.

Honourable Mention: The Apollo Lander

Apollo Snow Globe on the Apollo 11 landmark in Starfield
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Although not found on Earth, you can visit the Apollo Lander on Luna, the Earth's moon. Of all the landmarks mentioned above, it is also one of the earliest landmarks you can visit in Starfield. To unlock the Luna landmark, you'll need to read "Sir Livingstone's Second Journal", which you can find in The Lodge once you become part of Constellation. Sir Livingston refers to Sir Malcolm Livingstone, the former chairperson of Constellation.

The relevant journal can be found in Matteo's room on his desk. Reading "Sir Livingstone's Second Journal" will unlock the Apollo landmark, allowing the player to land on Luna and visit the Apollo lunar landing module. There is yet another collectible Snow Globe to pick up here, on top of the Apollo module itself. You'll also receive some XP for finding the module. The American flag next to the Apollo module is the one that was planted by Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, the first men to walk on the moon.

That's all there is to know about Earth and its landmarks in Starfield. For more Starfield content, check out our astronaut training manual, our guide on how to craft weapons and our best speech build guide.

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