Civilization 5 World Wonders
Wonders Listed by Era with What They Do, GPP, and Tech Requirements
This Wonder List is fully updated to support both the Brave New World and Gods and Kings DLCs. The list is sorted by Era, so that you can attempt to build all the Wonders for your Victory Type as they are unlocked by research. Within the list, you'll find each Wonder's tech requirements, the stats it provides, and a special column for Great Person Points for those looking to maximize their GPP per turn in a City.
Building Wonders
World Wonders may only be built once in each game. If you are competing to produce a Wonder and lose, you will get gold proportionate to the production your City invested. Wonders become increasingly more challenging to build as you raise the difficulty of Civilization 5 due to the AI bonuses. Having a technological edge can help you succeed in constructing Wonders, along with internal trade routes from Cities with Workshops sending Production to the Wonder-producing City.
Having a Spy inserted as a Diplomat in an opponent's Capital can sometimes alert you that the target Civ is building that Wonder. City-States will give quests based on Wonders that you may build, and this is a great way to boost influence with them. When you conquer a City, Wonders will not be destroyed, and you will have full benefit from any inside when you finally Annex the City. Warmongers may let others build these and specifically target these Cities that have constructed them to take control.
Boosting Wonder Production
As stated before, you can use trade routes from Cities that have built Workshops to send production to your other Cities. When you're able, use sea trade routes as these provide double. Great Engineers can hurry production on a Wonder, which will often contribute enough hammers to finish it in a single turn. If you have a lead and don't need it quite so fast, use the Engineer to build a Manufactory on a Grassland or Hill tile to get huge production when working that spot, which will permanently raise your City's output.
Ancient/Classical Era Wonders can be boosted in Cities that are able to work Marble, while there is also a Pantheon Belief that will do the same. The Tradition Social Policy tree has another boost to Wonder production that is permanent, helping with those Wonders from the Ancient to Information Eras. Finishing Tradition will let you buy Great Engineers with Faith starting in the Industrial Era, so you can spawn one when you need and quickly finish a newly acquired Wonder project.
Early in the game, using workers and chopping forests in your borders will provide hammers toward Wonder production. If those forests will be gone anyway, this is the best time to make use of them. Forests outside borders provide less production. Chop forests on hills to make those hills have +1 Production to give you another boost. If building a Wonder is incredibly important, you may even want to buy a tile or two to give your City better production to ensure you are first to finish.
Building Too Many Wonders
A common newbie mistake is to shoot for Wonders and neglect build the basics in a City - Workshops, Culture buildings, Religious buildings, etc. You may have a high score as Wonders factor heavily, but your Cities will have less production, your borders less defense, and you'll be a target for enemy Civilizations that wanted those Wonders you've built. The diplomatic hit of building a Wonder another Civ wanted combined with a weak military will often lead to war, especially if your borders are tight and the difficulty is higher than Prince.
It is far better to focus on those Wonders that specifically aid you in the Victory type you're chasing or fill the needs of your Empire's Citizens while making a military and the regular buildings that help your Cities to flourish and grow. Look to the Demographics screen in-game to see where you stand in science and military occasionally. This will give you an idea if your Civilization is weak and if you have a technological edge that lets you start the Wonder first.
Extra Requirements
About a dozen Wonders require not only technology to unlock them, but also that you adopt a social policy or Ideology to be eligible to construct them. These will be noted in the list. Even in an easy game, it is nearly impossible to build all 47 of Civ 5's Wonders unless you are able to switch Ideologies, which a Happy Empire cannot do.
About the List
Sorted by Era to help people plan ahead, this list is intended to give you every Wonder's stats at a glance, including Great Person Points and other stats like +Culture and +Happiness that other lists neglect to include or have not updated to support G&K or BNW DLCs. Wonders are listed in the order of availability - those toward the end of an Era's list come from higher level tech in that Era. Clicking the Wonder's name will take you to a page dedicated to that Wonder, where you can see the pretty painting of the Wonder that pops up when you've built it, along with more in-depth information, mechanics, and strategies to get the most out of these amazing constructs. To the experienced players out there: please share your comments and ideas with other players on Wonder pages to help make this list the best for new players seeking Wonder info, tips, and strategies for building them.
The Following articles may be helpful along with this Guide to Wonders:
- Theming Bonuses - Wonders allow Theming Bonuses to Improve Tourism and Culture
- Great People - GPP accumulate to birth Great People.
- Victory - Knowing the Victory you seek will help you prioritize Wonders.
In Addition, you should know that any Wonders that give 'Free' buildings are free of Maintenance. If you are granted a Free building, it will replace an existing one. Free Great People do not up the cost of your next Great Person. Instant Golden Ages do not make you lose progress and Free Social Policies will not cost you progress either.
Great Person Points as of Brave New World & the Wonder List
GE = Great Engineer, GM = Great Merchant, GS = Great Scientist - these 3 can be found on select Wonders
Great Artist, Writer, and Musician points are all earned through Guilds. Great Prophets are earned through Faith; Generals and Admirals are earned through land and naval combat, respectively.
| Pic | Wonder | Tech | Cost | Primary Effect | Secondary Effects | GPP |
 | Temple of Artemis | Archery | 185 | +10% Growth in All Cities, +15% Production of Ranged Units (Wonders of the Ancient World DLC) | +1 Culture | +1 GE |
 | Stonehenge | Calendar | 185 | +5 Faith | --- | +1 GE |
 | Great Library | Writing | 185 | 1 Free Tech, +3 Science, 2 Great Works of Writing Slots, Free Library | +1 Culture | +1 GS |
 | Pyramids | Masonry | 185 | Must Adopt Liberty. Tile Improvement Construction Speed +25%, 2 Free Workers | +1 Culture | +1 GE |
 | Mausoleum of Halicarnassus | Masonry | 185 | Each Marble or Stone Worked by City gives +2 Gold, 100 Gold each time a Great Person is expended. (Wonders of the Ancient World DLC) | +1 Culture | +1 GM |
 | Statue of Zeus | Bronze Working | 185 | Must Adopt Honor. All Units Gain +15% Combat Strength when Attacking Cities (Wonders of the Ancient World DLC, but comes with BNW due to Honor Adoption Bonus). | +1 Culture | --- |
| Pic | Wonder | Tech | Cost | Primary Effect | Secondary Effects | GPP |
 | Great Lighthouse | Optics | 185 | Must be Built in Coastal City. All Military Naval Units get +1 Movement/Sight, Free Lighthouse. | +1 Culture | +1 GM |
 | Hanging Gardens | Mathematics | 250 | Must Adopt Tradition. +6 Food, Free Garden regardless of River/Lake Proximity | +1 Culture | --- |
 | Terracotta Army | Construction | 250 | One Copy of Each Unique Military Land Unit You Currently Control Appears Near the City | +1 Culture | --- |
 | Oracle | Philosophy | 250 | 1 Free Social Policy | +3 Culture | +1 GS |
 | Parthenon | Drama and Poetry | 250 | Free Great Work of Art of the Current Era in the Slot it Contains (Came with Brave New World) | +4 Culture | --- |
 | Petra | Currency | 250 | City Must Be On or Next to Desert Tile. +1 Food/Production on all Desert Tiles but Flood Plains (works on Oasis), +1 Trade Routes and free Caravan Appears. Jumps to +6 Culture when Archaeology is Discovered. | +1 Culture | +1 GE |
 | Great Wall | Engineering | 250 | Enemy Land Units Spend +1 Movement Inside Your Territory. Free Wall in City, Obsolete with Dynamite | +1 Culture | +1 GE |
 | Colossus | Iron Working | 185 | City Must Be Coastal. +5 Gold, Free Trade Route Slot and a Cargo Ship Appears. Owner Trade Routes gain +1 Gold, Destination +2. | +1 Culture | +1 GM |
| Pic | Wonder | Tech | Cost | Primary Effect | Secondary Effects | GPP |
 | Hagia Sophia | Theology | 300 | Free Temple in City, Free Great Prophet. | +3 Faith | --- |
 | Great Mosque of Djenne | Theology | 300 | Must Adopt Piety. Missionaries Born in This City Can Spread Religion 3 Times. Provides a Free Mosque in City (Whether Religion Can Build Mosques or Not). (Comes with Gods and Kings but Included in BNW Due to Piety Bonus) | +1 Culture | +1 GE |
 | Borobudur | Theology | 300 | Must be Built in Holy City. 3 Free Missionaries Appear. | +5 Faith | --- |
 | Chichen Itza | Civil Service | 300 | +4 Happiness, Length of Golden Ages Increased by 50% (to 15 Turns) | --- | +1 GE |
 | Machu Picchu | Guilds | 300 | Must have Mountains Within 2 Tiles of City (Within Borders). +25% Gold from City Connections, +5 Gold, +2 Faith | +1 Culture | +1 GM |
 | Angkor Wat | Education | 400 | Gold and Culture Cost of New Tiles Reduced by 25% in All Cities. | +1 Culture | +1 GE |
 | Alhambra | Chivalry | 400 | Requires Gods and Kings. All New Non-Air Units Get the Drill I Promotion, Free Castle in City. +20% Culture in City. | +1 Culture | --- |
 | Notre Dame | Physics | 400 | +10 Happiness, +4 Faith | --- | +1 GM |
| Pic | Wonder | Tech | Cost | Primary Effect | Secondary Effects | GPP |
 | Sistine Chapel | Acoustics | 500 | +25% Culture in All Cities and 2 Slots for Great Works of Art | +1 Culture | --- |
 | Forbidden Palace | Banking | 500 | Must Adopt Patronage. Grants 2 Delegates in the World Congress, -10% Unhappiness from Population in Non-Occupied Cities | +1 Culture | --- |
 | Leaning Tower of Pisa | Printing Press | 500 | +25% Generation of Great People in All Cities. Also Provides a Free Great Person of your Choice. | +1 Culture | --- |
 | Globe Theatre | Printing Press | 500 | A Free Great Writer Appears, Contains 2 Slots for Great Works of Writing | +2 Culture | --- |
 | Himeji Castle | Gunpowder | 500 | +15% Combat Strength for Units Fighting in Friendly Territory. Free Castle | +1 Culture | +2 GE |
 | Porcelain Tower | Architecture | 625 | Must Adopt Rationalism. Free Great Scientist. 50% More Science Generated from Research Agreements | +1 Culture | +2 GS |
 | Taj Mahal | Architecture | 625 | Instant Golden Age, +4 Happiness | +1 Culture | --- |
 | Uffizi | Architecture | 625 | Must Adopt Aesthetics. Free Great Artist, 3 Slots for Great Works of Art/Artifacts | +2 Culture | --- |
 | Red Fort | Metallurgy | 625 | Defensive Buildings are 25% More Effective in All Cities | +1 Culture | +1 GS |
| Pic | Wonder | Tech | Cost | Primary Effect | Secondary Effects | GPP |
 | Louvre | Archaeology | 750 | Must Adopt Exploration. Free Great Artist, Contains 4 Slots for Great Works of Art | +2 Culture | --- |
 | Big Ben | Industrialization | 750 | Must Adopt Commerce. Cost of Gold Purchases in Cities Reduced by 15%, +4 Gold | +1 Culture | +2 GM |
 | Brandenburg Gate | Military Science | 750 | Free Great General. +15 Experience for All Units Built in This City | +1 Culture | +2 GS |
| Pic | Wonder | Tech | Cost | Primary Effect | Secondary Effects | GPP |
 | Broadway | Radio | 1000 | Free Great Musician. Contains 3 Slots for Great Works of Music | +2 Culture | --- |
 | Eiffel Tower | Radio | 1060 | +5 Happiness, +12 Tourism. | +1 Culture | +2 GM |
 | Statue of Liberty | Replaceable Parts | 1060 | Must Adopt Freedom Ideology. +1 Production for Every Specialist in All Cities. Free Social Policy. | +1 Culture | --- |
 | Prora | Flight | 1060 | Must Adopt Autocracy Ideology and Can Only Be Built in a Coastal City. +2 Happiness and +1 Happiness for every 2 Social Policies You've Adopted. Grants 1 Free Social Policy. | --- | --- |
 | Kremlin | Railroad | 1060 | Must Adopt Order Ideology. +50% Production when Building Armor Units | +1 Culture | +1 GS |
 | Neuschwanstein | Railroad | 1060 | City Must Be Within 2 Tiles of a Mountain Within Your Territory. +2 Happiness, +4 Culture, +6 Gold. Other Cities with Castles will Receive +3 Gold, +2 Culture, and +1 Happiness | +4 Culture | +1 GM |
 | Cristo Redentor | Plastics | 1250 | Culture Cost of Adopting New Policies Reduced 10% | +5 Culture | --- |
| Pic | Wonder | Tech | Cost | Primary Effect | Secondary Effects | GPP |
 | Pentagon | Combined Arms | 1250 | Gold Cost of Upgrading Military Units Reduced 33% | +1 Culture | +2 GM |
 | Sydney Opera House | Ecology | 1250 | Free Social Policy. +50% Culture in This City. 2 Slots for Great Works of Music. | --- | --- |
 | Great Firewall | Computers | 1250 | Requires Gods and Kings. Reduces Enemy Spy Stealing Rate by 99.9%. All Other Cities get 25% Reduction in Spy Effectiveness. Additionally, Negates the Tourism Bonus of Other Civs' Internet Technology. | --- | --- |
| Pic | Wonder | Tech | Cost | Primary Effect | Secondary Effects | GPP |
 | CN Tower | Telecommunications | 1250 | Free Broadcast Tower in Every City. Adds +1 Population to All Cities and +1 Happiness in All Cities. | +1 Culture | +1 GM |
 | Hubble Space Telescope | Satellites | 1250 | 2 Free Great Scientists. Free Spaceship Factory and an Additional +25% Production when Building Spaceship Parts for a Science Victory. | --- | +1 GS |
 | International Space Station | Satellites | Varies | Pass this Through World Congress, then Produce the Most Toward the Project to Get the Wonder and +1 Production from Scientist Specialists, +1 Science from Engineers. Makes Great Scientists Produce +33% More Science when Used for Discovery. | --- | --- |
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6There are Natural Wonders on Earth-type maps, but they are placed where they belong and may not always be present depending on the map size. The larger the map, the more natural wonders there will be. On standard, I suspect you just hadn't discovered any yet.
Concerning the natural wonders: Yes, you've got it right. It's precisely because of my map size. I do have found one natural wonder - the Mt. Fuji in Japan, situated exactly on its correct geographical setting.
All National Wonders should state in their description that they requier X in every City, where a World Wonder may require a certain position (coast, within range of Mountain) will never require a prerequisite building - just the tech and that no one has built it yet. I will add a section on National Wonders before I am done with the Guide, just to clarify it for newer players and enlighten them to some they will want to get out early but may not notice how helpful they are (like Hermitage or East India Company).
When you lose a wonder race, you get the lost hammers compensated as a lump sum of gold. How is this calculated? I'm trying to determine exactly how detrimental losing a wonder race is... cheers!
I think it's better than building Wealth, as that is 25% of your Production. I am just glad they give you SOMETHING when you lose a Wonder with just a couple turns left, as just happened to me with Great Mosque of Djenne.. I got 240 Gold out of it (if I remember correctly) and it costs 300 on Standard speed... just 2 turns to go, damnit.
I agree with you that 1:1 return is better than 'building gold' at 4h=1g, but it doesn't much make up for the fact that rush buys cost 4g=1h. Losing the great library won't even pay off a rush buy of a normal library (nor should it I suppose, or there would be very litle risk). Good to know this...
After yesterday's announcement of Civ: Beyond Earth, I am excited to get my hands on their next game. I won't be able to cover Beyond Earth in a timely mammer because of The Sims 4, but as a gamer I am eager to play something even similar to the great Alpha Centauri, something that ate up hundreds of hours of my time over a decade ago :)
"Eternity lies ahead of us, and behind. Have you drunk your fill?"