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Wonders benefit an entire empire. Civilization III added Small Wonders, which can be built once by every civilization. Small Wonders have, for the most part, a sociological requirement to construct them, as well as a technological requirement. Battlefield Medicine, for example, requires that five of the player's cities have Hospitals before building.

Many new technologies allow the player to build a new wonder. Some wonders can be made obsolete by certain technologies, but these technologies must be researched by the civilization that owns them - other civilizations cannot make wonders obsolete.

In each different age there are different wonders available. Below is a list of those wonders sorted by age (Ancient Times, Middle Ages, Industrial Ages, and Modern Times).

When a player captures a city with a Small Wonder, it is destroyed. If it has a Great Wonder, it doesn't get destroyed unless the player razes the city.

Great Wonders[]

Wonder Era Required Cost Culture Effects Obsolete with
Advance Resources
Copernicus' Observatory Copernicus' Observatory Middle Ages Astronomy 400 4 Doubles scientific research in the city.
Can become a tourist attraction.
Trigger Golden Age for Expansionist civilizations.
None
Cure for Cancer Cure for Cancer Modern Times Genetics 1000 3 +1 Content Face Content Face for every city.
Trigger Golden Age for Scientific, Agricultural civilizations.
None
Hoover Dam Hoover Dam Industrial Ages Electronics 800 2 Brings the effects of a Hydro Plant to all cities on the same continent.
Can become a tourist attraction.
Trigger Golden Age for Agricultural, Industrious civilizations.
None
JS Bach's Cathedral JS Bach's Cathedral Middle Ages Music Theory 600 6 +2 Content Face Content Faces for all cities on the same continent.
Can become a tourist attraction.
Trigger Golden Age for Religious civilizations.
None
Knights Templar Knights TemplarC Middle Ages Chivalry 300 2 Produces one Crusader every 5 turns.
Trigger Golden Age for Militaristic, Religious civilizations.
Steam Power
Leonardo's Workshop Leonardo's Workshop Middle Ages Invention 600 2 Obsolete military units can be upgraded at half price.
Can become a tourist attraction.
Trigger Golden Age for Militaristic civilizations.
None
Longevity Longevity Modern Times Genetics 1000 3 All cities get a population increase of two instead of one when the Food Storage box is full.
Trigger Golden Age for Scientific civilizations.
None
Magellan's Voyage Magellan's Voyage Middle Ages Navigation 400 3 The movement rate of all naval unit is increased by one.
Trigger Golden Age for Expansionist, Commercial, Seafaring civilizations.
None
Newton's University Newton's University Middle Ages Theory of Gravity 400 6 Doubles scientific research in the city.
Can become a tourist attraction.
Trigger Golden Age for Scientific civilizations.
None
SETI program SETI program Modern Times Computers 1000 3 Doubles scientific research in the city.
Trigger Golden Age for Expansionist civilizations.
None
Shakespeare's Theater Shakespeare's Theater Middle Ages Free Artistry 400 8 +8 Content Face Content Faces for the city it's built in
Acts as a Hospital, allowing city to grow beyond 12.
Can become a tourist attraction.
None
Sistine Chapel Sistine Chapel Middle Ages Theology 600 6 Doubles the effect of all Cathedrals in your cities.
Can become a tourist attraction.
Trigger Golden Age for Religious civilizations.
None
Smith's Trading Company Smith's Trading Company Ancient Times Economics 600 3 Pays maintenance costs for all city improvements marked as Commercial.
Trigger Golden Age for Commercial, Seafaring civilizations.
None
Sun Tzu's Art of War Sun Tzu's Art of War Middle Ages Feudalism (advance) 600 2 Puts a Barracks in every city on the same continent.
Trigger Golden Age for Militaristic civilizations.
None
The Colossus The Colossus Ancient Times Bronze Working 200 3 Causes its city to produce one extra Commerce in every square that already produces at least one.
Can become a tourist attraction.
Trigger Golden Age for Commercial, Expansionist, Seafaring civilizations.
Flight
The Great Library The Great Library Ancient Times Literature 400 6 The civilization that builds the Great Library gets any Civilization Advance already discovered by two other known civilizations for free.
Can become a tourist attraction.
Trigger Golden Age for Scientific civilizations.
Education
The Great Lighthouse The Great Lighthouse Ancient Times Map Making 300 2 Galleys can move safely in and out of sea squares, and all naval unit movement rates are increased by one.
Can become a tourist attraction.
Trigger Golden Age for Commercial, Expansionist, Seafaring civilizations.
Magnetism
The Great Wall The Great Wall Ancient Times Construction 200 2 Doubles the effect of Walls in cities that have them.
Doubles unit combat values versus barbarians.
Can become a tourist attraction.
Trigger Golden Age for Militaristic, Industrious civilizations.
Metallurgy
The Hanging Gardens The Hanging Gardens Ancient Times Monarchy (advance) 300 4 +3 Content Face Content Faces for the city it's built in.
+1 Content Face Content Face for all other cities.
Can become a tourist attraction.
Trigger Golden Age for Industrious, Agricultural civilizations.
Steam Power
The Internet The InternetP Modern Times Miniaturization 1000 4 Puts a Research Lab in every city on the same continent.
Trigger Golden Age for Militaristic, Scientific, Commercial, Industrious, Expansionist, Seafaring, Religious, Agricultural civilizations.
None
The Manhattan Project The Manhattan Project Modern Times Fission Uranium Uranium 800 2 Allows the construction of nuclear weapons by all civilizations.
Trigger Golden Age for Militaristic, Industrious civilizations.
None
The Mausoleum of Mausollos The Mausoleum of MausollosC Ancient Times Philosophy 200 2 +3 Content Face Content Faces in city.
Can become a tourist attraction.
Trigger Golden Age for Scientific, Seafaring civilizations.
None
The Oracle The Oracle Ancient Times Mysticism 300 4 Doubles the effect of Temples in the empire.
Can become a tourist attraction.
Trigger Golden Age for Religious civilizations.
Theology
The Pyramids The Pyramids Ancient Times Masonry 400 4 Puts a Granary in every city on the same continent.
Can become a tourist attraction.
Trigger Golden Age for Agricultural, Religious, Industrious civilizations.
None
The Statue of Zeus The Statue of ZeusC Ancient Times Mathematics Ivory Ivory 200 4 Produces one Ancient Cavalry every 5 turns.
Can become a tourist attraction.
Trigger Golden Age for Militaristic, Religious civilizations.
Metallurgy
The Temple of Artemis The Temple of ArtemisC Ancient Times Polytheism 500 4 Places a Temple in every city on the same continent.
Can become a tourist attraction.
Trigger Golden Age for Religious civilizations.
Education
The United Nations The United Nations Modern Times Fission 1000 4 Initiates the possibility of a Diplomatic Victory.
Can become a tourist attraction.
Trigger Golden Age for Commercial civilizations.
None
Theory of Evolution Theory of Evolution Industrial Ages Scientific Method 600 3 Grants two Civilization Advances as soon as completed.
Trigger Golden Age for Scientific civilizations.
None
Universal Suffrage Universal Suffrage Industrial Ages Industrialization 800 4 Reduces War weariness in all cities.
Trigger Golden Age for Agricultural civilizations.
None

Small Wonders[]

See also[]

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