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Minecraft Buildings

While the majority of buildings you can find in the Minecraft world come from your own hand through finding, mining and then crafting with different materials, there are also structures in the game that already spawn during world generation: Minecraft buildings. In general, the term ‘building’ is an umbrella term that describes a slew of Minecraft structures which can spawn in a variety of different biomes and dimensions.  They are very different from the buildings that you create yourself, like houses or castles. The buildings we will discuss in this article are naturally generated in the world and can be found roaming around. These are also called Minecraft structures, so don’t be confused when we use these terms interchangeably.

Overview Minecraft Buildings:

  • spawn during world generation
  • can be found throughout the world
  • can contain valuable loot
  • often filled with mobs

How to Find a Minecraft Building 

Before we start, we should answer the question you are probably burning to ask: How many structures are there in Minecraft? The answer depends on your definition of Minecraft structures, but officially, there are 23. At first, it might look like there are only a few existing buildings, though that impression is most likely false. Structures in Minecraft tend to spawn underground and these factors make it so that you can easily overlook them if you don’t dig. If you are looking for specific structures, you should know that  the dimension and the biome you’re in heavily influence which Minecraft structures you can find.

While the high number of structures might seem daunting at first, you shouldn’t worry too much. We will describe all Minecraft structures and tell you which factors you should consider when you look for them. We will not only show you where and how to find them, but also what mobs and what type of loot await you once you are there.

Minecraft Buildings in the Overworld

The starting point of every adventure is the overworld. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that the majority of Minecraft buildings and generated structures can be found there. In fact, there are so many Minecraft buildings located in the overworld that we will divide them into smaller categories: underground, surface and underwater.

Underground Minecraft Buildings

When mining deep down, you might encounter one of the underground Minecraft buildings. If you go on such a mission, don’t forget to bring some torches with you as well as some spare charcoal. Since it is dark underground, the likelihood of mobs spawning is really high. Make sure you bring your own light with you to avoid that. An extra set of armor and weapons might be a good idea as well. 

Ancient City

This mysterious underground ruin is filled with rare loot – and eerie sculk sensors. The ancient city’s maze-like structure harbors the terrifying warden, a powerful creature with sharp senses. Brave adventurers must navigate its shadowy corridors, discovering hidden treasures while staying silent to avoid the lurking danger within. 

Buried Treasure

  • Biomes:
    • beaches
    • shores (in Bedrock Edition)
  • Mobs:
  • Noticeable loot:

While not as impressive to look at as an ancient city or a stronghold, the buried treasure is an important generated structure nonetheless. It consists of a chest buried at a beach, which you can find with a map that leads to it (or by digging up sand blocks at every beach you can get your hands on). While they can be difficult to find, buried treasures are the only way to find hearts of the sea, a key ingredient for the conduit, making the search for them worth your while.

Mineshaft

These shaft systems are quite common in caves and other underground places, so much so that they can appear in any biome. The shafts are particularly distinctive because of their interrupted rail tracks and wooden structures which stabilize the tunnels. If you happen to find a mineshaft located in a badlands biome, you are in luck: these mineshafts spawn much closer to the surface, placing them at a y-level that is perfect for spawning gold. 

Stronghold

  • Biomes: any
  • Mobs: silverfish
  • Noticeable loot:
    • ender pearl
    • eye armor trim
    • horse armor
    • music disc

Strongholds are rare, being located very deep underground. They are the only place where you can find a portal to the End. Once you do, there is more to be done, if you want to cross the dimensions. The portal within a stronghold spawns with a random number of blocks already filled with eyes of ender. The portal only opens when all blocks have an eye of ender, so you have to fill the remaining blocks. Here is the conundrum, however: You need eyes of ender both to open the portal and to find the stronghold in the first place. These underground fortresses can be found by right-clicking on an eye of ender, which will direct you to the nearest stronghold. Aside from the central portal room, the stronghold is as any dangerous generated structure in Minecraft should be; the corridors are only lit dimly, creating a dark atmosphere while allowing many kinds of mobs to spawn. However, there are also various rooms containing valuable goods, including libraries and fountains.

Trail Ruins

  • Biomes:
    • jungle
    • old growth birch forest
    • old growth pine taiga
    • old growth spruce taiga
    • snowy taiga
    • taiga
  • Mobs: depends on the biome
  • Noticeable loot:

Introduced in the 1.20 update, also known as the ‘Trails & Tales’ update, the trail ruins are your primary way to find pottery sherds – and a lot of other loot as well. While you probably would expect forlorn ruins like these to spawn in deserts, these Minecraft structures prefer colder climates like taigas. While you can also find some in the depths of the jungle, taigas are your best bet. Trail ruins do not generate mobs by themselves, so the only ones you will encounter are those that wander in from the surrounding biomes. But once you have disposed of them, you can focus on brushing down the suspicious sand you can find hiding among the regular sand blocks, revealing the secrets of ancient civilizations! All in all, trail ruins offer a way for a relaxed day full of archeology and exploration, at least when compared to many of the other generated structures in Minecraft.

Trial Chamber

  • Biomes: any overworld biome, except deep dark
  • Mobs:
    • baby zombie
    • bogged
    • breeze
    • cave spider
    • husk
    • skeleton
    • slime
    • silverfish
    • spider
    • stray
    • zombie
  • Noticeable loot:

For those that have already beaten any other challenge in Minecraft, the trial chamber is the perfect way to find out how far your fighting capabilities can carry you. Within these halls, you will find tons of mobs to fight, as well as loot that matches the challenge you have to face. Wave after wave of skeletons, zombies and the elusive breeze will rain upon you, but finding that vault and taking what is rightfully yours is a feeling few other challenges can create. And if you still need more and tougher mobs to fight, you can always use an ominous bottle to make the creatures around you even tougher. 

Minecraft Buildings on the Surface 

It isn’t even necessary to mine your way through stone, dirt or all the other ore-heavy blocks just to find some Minecraft buildings. Once you spawn on the surface, your adventure begins! Depending on which biome you’re roaming, you can find different structures. Not every structure might look like a building, but do not let your eyes deceive you; they still count as Minecraft buildings.

Desert Temple

The Minecraft desert temple is a building consisting of two towers and a pyramid, thus the official name is actually ‘Minecraft desert pyramid’, though most people know this structure as the ‘desert temple’. As many other things in the desert biome, it consists of sandstone, as well as some blocks of terracotta and TNT. Inside, there are four chests you can loot. But be careful not to set off the TNT that has been placed there to protect the Minecraft desert temple and its treasure from thieves!

Igloo

  • Biomes:
    • snowy plains
    • snowy slopes
    • snowy taiga
  • Mobs:
  • Noticeable loot:

As the name suggests,an igloo is a Minecraft building only found in snowy regions. It appears empty but charming on the inside, being complete with carpets and a bed. There is also a chance of spawning a hidden basement, accessible through a trapdoor under the carpet. Inside the basement, a villager, zombie villager and a chest can be found. With this mysterious generated structure, Minecraft ensures that you will always have something to wonder about.

Jungle Temple

  • Biomes:
    • (bamboo jungle in Java Edition)
    • jungle
  • Mobs:
  • Noticeable Loot:
    • bamboo
    • enchanted book
    • horse armor
    • wild armor trim

Deep down in the jungle, you might find a Minecraft building made of stone known as the jungle pyramid or the jungle temple. This structure is quite the challenge, sporting small, narrow corridors and deadly traps. Many of them are redstone-powered and work automatically to halt your advance. Even when it comes to the chest in the heart of the temple, you have to solve a puzzle and set a lever to the proper position in order to open the secret door. In return, exclusive items await you there! If you want to be a real adventurer and are not afraid of taking risks, the Minecraft jungle temple is the right place for you! 

Pillager Outpost

  • Biomes:
    • any village-spawning biome
    • cherry grove
    • frozen peaks
    • grove
    • jagged peaks
    • snowy slopes
    • stony peaks
  • Mobs:
  • Noticeable loot:
    • bottle o’ enchanting
    • crossbows
    • dark oak log
    • sentry armor trim 

A pillager outpost is a towering, dark structure that serves as a base for hostile pillagers. It resembles a small tower surrounded by a wooden barricade with watchtowers and tents where pillagers, both regulars and captains, patrol the area. Inside the outpost, you can find iron golems and allays trapped within cages, which you can free to give yourself an advantage while fighting the pillagers. Take out a pillager captain to find an ominous bottle, which can unlock raids and ominous trials.

Village

  • Biomes:
    • desert
    • meadow
    • plains
    • savannah
    • snowy plains
    • taiga
  • Mobs: standard, depends on the biome
  • Noticeable loot:
    • inventory of trading villagers
    • food
    • buckets
    • plants
    • signs

The village is one of the most famous and commonly generated structures Minecraft has to offer in the overworld. It can be found in many biomes, though it can only spawn on land and can’t spawn in extremely harsh biomes. It is home to numerous villagers with whom interactions such as trade are possible. These villagers also have a typical Minecraft building each, e.g. a blacksmith has a forge. You can find various tools in a village, including workbenches, anvils and chests, the latter of which you can loot, of course. 

In some cases, villages you find turn into abandoned villages, where no living person dares to tread. Only zombie villagers and stray cats await you here, so be careful whenever you see a dirty village with houses overgrown by plants. 

Witch Hut

A witch hut (also often called a swamp hut due to its location) is rather rare, being the spawn point for both a witch and a black cat. Neither of these mobs despawn naturally, though they constantly wander around the hut and do not defend it once you enter. Finding one of these foreboding generated structures in Minecraft should serve as a warning for you though: where there’s a witch hut, there’s always a witch. 

Woodland Mansion

  • Biome: dark forest
  • Mobs:
    • allay
    • invoker
    • vindicator
  • Noticeable loot:

The woodland mansion (also known as a Minecraft mansion) is one of the rarest generated structures in Minecraft. It is a huge building with many different rooms hiding secrets, which can look very differently each time you find it. You will meet dozens of hostile mobs inside, hoarding some truly valuable loot. Still, it’s all worth it once you find out how many precious items you can find in one single place when looting this Minecraft building.

Underwater Minecraft Buildings

Far away from dungeons, villages or mansions, you can also roam the sea to find amazing Minecraft buildings. The biggest problem you will encounter here are not only aggressive mobs but also your dwindling air supply. Make sure to stack up on potions of water breathing or find yourself enchanted gear before you enter the watery depths.

Ocean Monument 

  • Biome: deep ocean (all variants)
  • Mobs:
  • Noticeable loot:

The ocean monument is a Minecraft building in the deep ocean, which probably only the deep-sea divers among you will discover. The large building is flooded and protected by various mobs, both those you can find anywhere underwater such as squids and fish, but also the imposing guardians and elder guardians. Many chests and even a treasure chamber with gold await you here, but the way inside is not found easily! The ocean monument is something for experienced divers and underwater fighters. For easier water breathing, we recommend crafting a conduit or enchanting a helmet with the ‘respiration’ enchantment.

Ocean Ruins

  • Biomes:
    • all oceans
    • beach
  • Mobs:
    • drowned
    • dolphins
    • glow Squid
    • standard
  • Noticeable loot:
    • enchanted fishing rod
    • golden helmet 
    • pottery sherds

Ocean ruins are mysterious underwater structures that consist of mossy or cracked stone blocks and are often covered in kelp and seagrass. They are usually home to drowned, adding an extra layer of danger for players exploring them. They come in many different variants and are one of the few places where you can find suspicious gravel, a special block that allows you to dabble in archeology.

Shipwreck

  • Biomes:
    • all oceans
    • beach
    • snowy beach
  • Mobs:
    • dolphin
    • glow squid
    • standard
  • Noticeable loot:

Shipwrecks commonly generate in the ocean, though they can sometimes spawn on beaches as well. While the shipwreck itself does not contain much valuable loot, the chests you can find inside do. They have a variety of different possible loot inside, so much so that you should definitely check all of them out if you get the chance. Use a boat to sail the seas, increasing your chance to find one of these sunken ships.

Minecraft Buildings in the Nether 

Even if you leave the overworld and step into a lower dimension, you won’t get rid of Minecraft buildings. Even in the Nether, structures pop up like mushrooms. Once you cross the fiery lakes of the Nether using some lava striders, you can find some remarkable buildings in the dark corners of this hellish dimension. So, take your time to explore some of the magnificent Minecraft Nether structures, as the loot they hold will allow you to advance even further. 

Bastion Remnant

  • Biomes:
    • crimson forest
    • nether wastes
    • soul sand valley
    • warped forest
  • Mobs:
  • Noticeable loot:
    • blackstone
    • gold gear
    • lodestone
    • netherite upgrade smithing template
    • obsidian
    • snout armor trim

Bastion remnants are massive, crumbling fortresses with a dark and ominous appearance, shrouded in mystery and danger. Towering walls and twisting corridors provide an imposing presence, hinting at its once grand architecture. Inside, the structure is divided into different sections, their maze-like interior and deep lava pools creating an atmosphere filled with peril, rewarding only the most daring adventurers who are willing to navigate the remnant’s treacherous depths.

Nether Fossil

  • Biome: soul sand valley
  • Mobs:
  • Noticeable loot: bone blocks

A nether fossil is an ancient, skeletal structure, adding an eerie, prehistoric touch to the landscape of the soul sand valley – not that it needed any further eeriness. Composed of bone blocks, these fossils resemble the remains of a large, long-dead creature, partially buried in the netherrack. Their stark, white appearance contrasts with the dark and fiery surroundings, creating a striking visual against the lava-filled Nether. While the nether fossil doesn’t spawn chests, the gigantic bones are an excellent source for bone blocks.

Nether Fortress

  • Biome: any
  • Mobs:
    • blaze
    • magma cube
    • skeleton
    • wither skeleton
    • zombified piglin
  • Noticeable loot:
    • diamond
    • flint & steel
    • nether wart
    • rib armor smithing template

A nether fortress is a sprawling structure looming ominously within the fiery landscape of the Nether. Made of dark, weathered nether bricks, its towering bridges, winding corridors and menacing interior create a foreboding atmosphere, inviting only the bravest to explore. The fortress’s twisting halls and elevated walkways form a labyrinthine maze, adding an extra layer of challenge for adventurers navigating its depths. All the while, nether fortresses are responsible for spawning many of the mobs that plague players in the Nether.

Ruined Nether Portal

  • Biomes:
    • any overworld biome, except deep dark
    • any Nether biome
  • Mobs: depends on the biome
  • Noticeable loot:
    • bell
    • clock
    • enchanted golden tools & weapons
    • golden carrot
    • light weighted pressure plate

The ruined nether portal is a unique structure, as it can spawn both in the overworld and in the Nether. Like many other Minecraft buildings, it is generated with a chest to loot. Additionally, it generates netherrack and obsidian, even in the overworld, making it a prime way to find these materials early. If you don’t want to demolish the ruined nether portal, you can repair it instead, giving you access to the Nether or the overworld, depending on where you start. 

Minecraft Buildings in the End

Similar to the overworld and the Nether, the End also spawns Minecraft buildings, although there is far less variety here. The only true structures in the End are end cities. There are other pseudo-structures but we will deal with them later on.

End Cities

  • Biomes:
    • end midlands & highlands (Java Edition)
  • Mobs: shulker
  • Noticeable loot:

End Cities are tall, intricate structures, showcasing a unique, otherworldly architecture with purple and yellow hues. These cities rise high above the barren landscape, with slender towers, open balconies and spiraling staircases. Their unusual design, combined with floating pathways and shulker-guarded rooms, presents a vertical challenge for explorers. Navigating an end city requires skill and caution, but these structures are renowned for their rare and valuable treasures, making them a rewarding destination for those who’ve conquered the End. 

Pseudo-Buildings

Besides the generated structures we discussed previously, there are also some features that appear like structures. The main difference between structures and pseudo-buildings is that the latter spawns even if the ‘generate structures’ feature is disabled during world generation. 

Desert Well

A desert well is a small, rare structure that appears in desert biomes, serving as a simple yet mysterious landmark. Made of sandstone blocks with a single source of water at its center, the well stands out against the arid sands. Its purpose remains unknown, adding a touch of intrigue to the otherwise dry and barren landscape. Although it doesn’t provide resources or shelter, the desert well is a subtle feature that breaks the monotony of the desert, hinting at an ancient civilization lost beneath the sands.

Dungeon

Dungeons are small, hidden rooms found underground, typically close to caves. They’re composed of cobblestone and mossy cobblestone walls with a single spawner block in the center, usually spawning dangerous mobs like zombies or skeletons, which you have to engage in battle, be it with a sword, a trident or something else. These confined spaces contain one or two chests holding various loot, making them a rewarding but challenging find for players. The eerie ambiance, combined with the constant threat of hostile mobs, makes dungeons an exciting encounter for adventurers exploring the depths of Minecraft.

End Gateway

An end gateway is a floating portal structure that appears after defeating the ender dragon, allowing you to access the outer edges of the End. It’s marked by a bedrock frame with a tiny, shimmering portal in the center. Entering the gateway teleports you to distant parts of the End dimension, where you can explore End cities and uncover new treasures. Suspended in the void, the end Gateway serves as a beacon of new adventures, guiding players beyond the main end island to explore its hidden reaches.

End Spike

End spikes are towering obsidian pillars found on the main end island, surrounding the ender dragon’s lair. Each spike is topped with an end crystal, which heals the dragon during the battle, making these structures essential targets in the fight. Their dark, imposing appearance creates a stark contrast against the End’s bleak landscape. The End Spikes are iconic symbols of the End dimension’s hostile environment and the final showdown with the ender dragon.

Fossil

While the fossils in the Nether are structures, those that spawn in the overworld are not true structures. Fossils are skeletal pseudo-structures found deep underground, usually in swamp or desert biomes. Constructed from bone blocks, they resemble the remains of massive, ancient creatures long buried in the earth. Their unexpected appearance and stark white bones add a prehistoric element to the landscape, offering a unique resource for players willing to dig them up. These fossils hint at Minecraft’s distant past, adding an intriguing layer to the game’s lore.

Iceberg

Icebergs are large pseudo-structures made of packed ice and blue ice, found floating in icy ocean biomes. These formations vary in shape and size, rising above and below the water’s surface, and create a chilly, frozen landscape in the otherwise vast ocean. Their sharp, jagged shapes and icy composition make them a distinctive biome feature and players navigating through iceberg fields may have to dodge their icy peaks. Icebergs add a frozen beauty to the ocean, making these areas feel both serene and desolate.

Conclusion: Minecraft Buildings

As you can see, Minecraft structures come in a variety of shapes and sizes, so if you want to experience all of them, you should keep traveling through the blocky lands of the in-game world. And if you want even more possible buildings in your Minecraft game, you can always use mods to give your world even more flavor. But whatever you decide to do, you can always count on a Minecraft server from G-Portal when it comes to seeing and looting all Minecraft structures. So take up your sword, charge into the unknown and get that loot!

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