Rabbit hole

Rabbit hole

The Soil and Water Research Facility in Riverview, an example of a rabbit hole

Rabbit holes are objects depicting a building that are usually massive in size that Sims can enter or do activities in, but which the game camera cannot enter. Rabbit holes fade away when the camera gets closer to them, and Sims cannot be seen while they're inside one. They were first introduced in The Sims 3, where they appear in every world, and later appears in The Sims Medieval. They also exist in The Sims 4 though less commonly.

The Sims 3

Most rabbit holes function as workplaces where Sims are employed and work in. Most of them are building-sized, though some of them, such as mausoleum, gypsy wagon, or arboretum are not. Sims can perform various activities inside rabbit holes, such as getting employed, attending a show, attending a class, and so on. Some rabbit holes give a lot assignment to community lots. A rabbit hole placed on a community lot will also replace the lot's map tag with the rabbit hole's map tags.

Some rabbit holes can be invested in, allowing Sims to become partners in them and own them. Sims who become owners can rebuild the lot to improve it so that it becomes more attractive, rename the rabbit hole, and also fire Sims at their will. They can't, however, fire the last employee who works there.

In some careers and professions, some of their duties or opportunities require entering certain rabbit holes to perform an activity. For example, firefighters sometimes have to respond to a building disaster in a rabbit hole. When Sims do this, they will just enter the rabbit holes and complete the tasks themselves, so exactly what they do doesn't really matter.

Although rabbit holes will fade when the camera gets closer, players can see their contents with cameraman view by pressing the Tab key. Everything inside the building is 2-D decorative textures that serve to make the rabbit holes or buildings more realistic when players peek through their windows from the outside. Environment sounds and music can be heard when Sims are inside the rabbit holes. Usually, that will be a sound effect related to the rabbit holes, such as a school bell at school or eerie voices at mausoleum, with audible background music.

If a rabbit hole gets deleted, Sims employed in any careers and professions associated with the rabbit hole should switch to other rabbit holes in the world of the same type. If there are no other rabbit holes of the associated type, those Sims will become unemployed. Likewise, children and teens will be moved to different schools if a school rabbit hole is deleted, and will no longer be required—or be able—to attend school if the last school is deleted.

Advertising deal

Sims who are at the top of Professional Sports career can do an advertising deal at the grocery or bookstore, which will reward them with §1,500 (good result), §500 (medium result), or nothing (failed result). How good the result is based on the Sim's mood. Sims can make another advertising deal 4 days after a successful deal or 1 week after a failed deal. Sims cannot have two deals at a time; which means they need to wait for a week to make a deal in a grocery if they've made one in a bookstore.

Autograph session

Sims who are at their top of Music or Professional Sports career can hold autograph sessions in some rabbit holes. While in an autograph session, Sims must give autographs to as many visitors as possible. The more Sims that get autographs, the more money the player will earn. Sometimes, this will also advertise to Sims, attracting them to enter the rabbit holes to watch a show or game, which will give an additional bonus. Technically, Sims can hold autograph sessions in rabbit holes that Sims can enter to attend a show or purchase items or services, i.e. theater, spa, diner, and grocery.

Multi-purpose rabbit holes

Since Late Night, some multi-purpose rabbit holes are present to preserve neighborhoods, such as Bridgeport, that lack enough space for big lots. Although this seems practical, there are some issues with multi-purpose rabbit holes, such as the inability to complete opportunities that are related to rabbit holes. Sometimes, the option to perform tasks from opportunities is not available, which prevents the player from completing the opportunities. For example, the afterschool activities-related opportunities cannot be completed at school in Moonlight Falls.

Issues with the multi-purpose rabbit holes can be fixed by installing Overwatch.

List of multi-purpose rabbit holes

Appaloosa Plains

• Appaloosa Plains Civic Center (city hall, military base, police department)
• Crestview School and Stadium (school, stadium)
• Darris Teeter Grocery & The Koffi Cafe (diner, grocery store)
• Hueber Associates & Kim Gould's Steakhouse (bistro, office building)
• Walls Book 'n Bath LLC (bookstore, spa)
• Wolfson's Hospital and Research Facility (hospital, science lab)

Aurora Skies

• Cuisine and Contracts Business Park (bistro, office building)
• Cure-All Collective (hospital, science lab)
• Füd Feud (diner, grocery store)
• Mud Baths and Manuscripts (bookstore, spa)
• Peaceful Protection Agency (military base, police department)

Bridgeport

• Public Services Office (city hall, military base, police department)
• Steve's Business Complex and Restaurant (bistro, office building)
• Wilki's Fabulous Books and Bath (bookstore, spa)

Dragon Valley

• The Local Grocer (diner, grocery store)
• Garda Police and Military (military base, police department)

Isla Paradiso

• Accolades Institute and Stadium (school, stadium)
• Civic Center (city hall, military base, police department)
• Costa Verde Corp. & Alyssa's Bookstore (bookstore, office building)
• Cruzita's Groceries and Diner (diner, grocery store)
• Trade Winds Spa and Bistro (bistro, spa)

Midnight Hollow

• Bubbles N’ Books (bookstore, spa)
• Fast or Fresh (diner, grocery store)
• The Just Us Justice Department (military base, police department)

Moonlight Falls

• Bloom Institute of Wellness (hospital, science lab)
• Commonwealth Court (city hall, military base, police department)
• Deja View Theatre (criminal hideout, theatre)
• Everglow Academy & Coliseum (school, stadium)
• Mind-Body Connection Bookstore & Spa (bookstore, spa)
• Sam's Market Diner (diner, grocery store)
• Van Gould Merchant House & Cafe (bistro, office building)

Monte Vista

• Civic Center (military base, police department)
• Doctor Simano’s Sanatorium (hospital, science lab)
• Graciella’s Groceries and Delfina’s Diner (diner, grocery store)
• Tasty Treats and Tomes (bistro, bookstore)

Oasis Landing

• Oasis Landing Community Hospital & Science Center (hospital, science lab)
• Tammy's Spa & Books (bookstore, spa)

Sims University

• Schmidt Memorial Stadium & Annex (annex, stadium)
• SimBurger (diner)

Starlight Shores

• Broad Street Business Tower & Grill (bistro, office building)
• City Government Complex (city hall, military base, police department)
• Holy Cow Memorial Hospital (hospital, science lab)
• Serenity Bookstore & Spa (bookstore, spa)

Types of rabbit holes

Types	Function	Workplaces and classes	Notes	EP
Abandoned warehouse	None	Criminal career, Art Appraiser career	Sims in the Law Enforcement career may receive an opportunity to raid the warehouse in exchange for a cash reward. This usually causes Sims unable to go to their workplace in abandoned warehouse.	&BG
Administration center	Reassign roommates, clear name, record anti-cheating video	None	None	&EP09
Annex	University graduation ceremony	Handiness class		&EP09
Arboretum	Enter gardening competition, search for fairies, play with fairies, tour arboretum	None	Not investable.	&EP07
Bistro	Eat in or outside, hold autograph session	Culinary career, Cooking class, Mixology class	Sims can eat inside or outside the bistro. Sims who eat inside sometimes receive a chance card. Sims will change to formal wear when going to bistro.	&BG
Bookstore	Buy books, hold autograph session, make advertisement deal	Bookstore Clerk part-time job	None	&BG
City hall	Protest, receive service awards, celebrate the top-level profession, tour city hall, change your name, sue for slander	Political career, Architectural Designer profession, Charisma class	Protests can happen outside of city hall. Not investable.	&BG
College	College class	Various skill classes	There are 3 types of classroom rabbit holes. Each of them have different variety of activities.	&EP09
Diner	Dine in	Culinary career, Cooking class, Mixology class	Sims employed in the Culinary career can transfer their workplace between the Bistro and the Diner rabbitholes, as they are functionally the same.	&BG
Equestrian center	Watch horse competition, breed mare, offer stallion as stud, buy a horse, enter a horse competition	Riding class	None	&EP05
Film studio	Attend film screening, hold autograph session, tour film studio	Film career	The set outside the building will periodically change.	&EP03
Grocery	Buy grocery, sell fresh fruit and vegetables, hold autograph session, make advertisement deal	Grocery Store Clerk part-time job Fishing class	Vampires can raid the grocery for plasma fruit.	&BG
Gypsy wagon	Have fortune told, WooHoo	Fortune Teller career	None	&EP07
Hospital	Giving birth when the baby is coming, get plastic surgery, wax body hair, receive flu/allergy shot	Medical career	Vampires can raid the hospital for plasma packs.	&BG
Mausoleum	Tour mausoleum, explore catacomb, manage the dead	Mausoleum Clerk part-time job	Does not generate a map tag, unlike other rabbit holes. Not investable.	&BG
Military base	Tour base camp	Military career, Handiness class	At 5 AM, "Reveille", which is a military music, plays on the military base. Not investable.	&BG
Office building	Dispel rumor, pay off paparazzi	Business career, Journalism career, Video Game Developer career, Writing class, Social Networking class	None	&BG
Plumbot competition arena		Bot Arena career, Bot Building class	None	&EP11
Police department	None	Law Enforcement career, Investigator profession	Sims in the criminal career can be arrested. Sims can also receive investigation cases here. Not investable.	&BG
Resort building	Sleep and bathroom for resort guests, spa treatments	None	Not investable	&EP10
School	Prank, attend prom, sign up for afterschool activities	Education career, Painting class	Not investable	&BG
Science lab	Sell insects and spirits, tour science lab	Science career, Ghost Hunter profession, Logic class, Gardening class, Inventing class, Science class, Scuba Diving class	Sims can claim their clone when they have a clone voucher purchased from lifetime reward.	&BG
Skydiving center	Skydiving simulator	None	Sims can increase Athletic skill by using the skydiving simulator. This is a special rabbit hole from Ford Focus Skydiving Simulator from store content.	&Store
Spa	Get salon, facial, massage, body treatment, and package service; get tattoo, wax body hair, hold autograph session	Spa Receptionist part-time job, Spa Specialist part-time job	None	&BG
Stadium	Attend game, attend concert, hold autograph session	Professional Sports career, Sports Agent career, Athletic class	The Binder Clips Center in Starlight Shores also functions as a big show venue as part of shell-rabbit hole.	&BG
Stellar observatory	Experiment with Zero-G, search for stellar observatory, watch planetarium show	Astronomer career, Advanced Technology class	Not investable	&EP11
Subway	Travel, play for tips	None	Subways can be individually named, and travelled between for free. There is a chance for sims to be mugged when using the subway or playing for tips in the station. Sims can replenish their Bladder need in the station. Not a building.	&EP03
Theater	Attend play, attend symphony, tour theater, hold autograph session	Music career, Instrument skills	The Hoi Polloi Event Center from Showtime also functions as a big show venue as part of a shell-rabbit hole.	&BG
Vault of Antiquity	Enter trivia contest, research supernatural, tour archives	Alchemy class	On the right of the door there is an Eye of Providence symbol, which consists of a pyramid containing an eye.	&EP07
ZEPHYR stop	Travel, WooHoo	None	Not investable	&EP11

The Sims 4

The restroom rabbit hole in Pendula View

The restroom rabbit hole in Desert Bloom Park

Due to The Sims 4 not having an open world engine, there are no rabbit hole career lots. Instead, Sims just disappear off the lot to go to work and school like in The Sims 2. However, some neighborhoods have small rabbit holes that serve as public restrooms. Unlike The Sims 3, pre-made rabbit holes are not placed on lots and instead exist in the surrounding area.

Most neighborhoods in The Sims 4 have multiple buildings that the player can not enter, but these are not rabbit holes since they are non-functional and only exist as set dressing.

The Sims 4: Discover University

In Britechester, students can go to class, attend sports games or participate in skill classes in campus rabbit holes. Like in The Sims 3, the player cannot see the inside of these rabbit holes or any Sims inside of them, although sound effects depicting whatever activity the Sim is performing can be heard. However, during classes or exams, the player can choose work tones similar to careers, such as "work hard," "slack off," or "cheat on exam."

The Sims 4: Journey to Batuu

In the vacation world of Batuu, Sims can visit various rabbit hole buildings - such as ordering food at Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo or buying a droid at the Droid Depot.

The Sims 4: My Wedding Stories

In Tartosa, there is a city hall where Sims can get married or use the bathroom. It opens at 9am and closes at 6pm.

The Sims 4: High School Years

In Copperdale's Plumbite Cove, the amusement park features a few rides sims can ride on. however these are all rabbit holes.

The Sims 4: Growing Together

In San Sequoia's Anchorpoint Wharf neighborhood exists a theater rabbit hole where Sims can visit to watch a variety of films for a fee.

The Sims 4: Lovestruck

In Ciudad Enamorada's Vista Hermosa, there is a motel rabbit hole where Sims can go to sleep or WooHoo another Sim.