Lap Cat Studios

Minecraft Museum Project

Welcome to the Valene L Smith Museum of Anthropology's Minecraft World Extension!

Have you ever been to a Minecraft museum before?

This is your chance to go on an adventure!


My name is Ceasar Salas, a former student assistant at the museum. Together with the rest of the museum team, we built a Minecraft version of our Fire and Water: Elements of Change exhibit. This virtual exhibit makes the most of Minecraft's built-in features. Take note, this virtual exhibit only works with the Java Edition of Minecraft, and is rated G for all audiences. This virtual exhibit is not a replica, rather it is a whole new experience!

We have taken to calling this new exhibit Fire and Water: Minecraft.

Below, we have more details about what Minecraft is and how you can explore the Minecraft museum world.

It is available here as a download for free to existing Minecraft: Java on PC or Mac.

What is Minecraft?

Minecraft is a multi-platform video game that allows for a wide range of free expression. The game uses "worlds" to describe the in-game virtual landscapes and simulated geography. The game is played by all ages and is a popular educational tool.

More information on Minecraft can be found at: https://minecraft.net/en/.

What is Fire and Water: Minecraft?

Explore the museum from a whole new perspective. Fire and Water: Minecraft is a hand-crafted Minecraft ’world’ that brings in as much of the real-life Fire and Water exhibit as possible. One feature that makes this experience unique is that we have brought actual museum labels, pictures, and animation to Minecraft in a new exciting and interactive platform. Join in a scavenger hunt to unite animals with their favorite exhibit. Take a look at Redstone contraptions to learn about the Oroville Dam crisis and fire safety. This is not your same-old, everyday trip to the museum.


How do I play Fire and Water: Minecraft?

The Fire and Water: Minecraft world is available for free to Minecraft players on PC or Mac. The world can be downloaded as an individual zip file. It is available here as a download for free to existing users on Minecraft: Java on PC or Mac.

How do I install the Fire and Water: Minecraft world in Minecraft?

Please follow these instructions for Fire and Water: Minecraft zip file (containing the world):

  1. Open the link to the world, using one of the buttons above. Download the world to your computer using the "download" icon in the top right. Find your downloads folder before moving on, it may often be reached by searching for "downloads" in your computer's search bar.

  2. Extract the world files with a ZIP extractor. It is usually built into your system and can be accessed by right-clicking on the file and selecting "Extract All.." or something similar to that effect. Extract the file to a location that you can easily locate like your Desktop or Documents folder.

  3. Now find the folder where your Minecraft worlds are located:

    1. For Windows - Click the Start menu and select ‘Run’. Type %appdata% and press Enter. Open the folder named ‘.minecraft’ and then ‘saves’

    2. For OS X - Click the Go menu in Finder and select ‘Go to Folder’. Type ~/Library/Application Support/minecraft/saves and press Return

    3. Still Can't Find it? - Open your version of Minecraft. Go to singleplayer and select one of your worlds. Select 'Edit' and then to 'Open World Folder'. In the file explorer, at the top of the window that states what folder you are in, go back to 'saves'. You would select 'saves' out of the examples below.

      1. AppData > Roaming > .minecraft > saves > My_World

      2. Application Support/minecraft/saves/My_World

  4. Copy the extracted world folder into this 'saves' folder.

  5. Start the game. Your newly downloaded world will be available in your ‘Worlds’ list in Minecraft. Select it to begin playing and exploring your new world.



Details on Minecraft

What are the system requirements?

Fire and Water: Minecraft world was created in Minecraft version 1.16.5.

To play Fire and Water: Minecraft via your Minecraft account you will need the latest version of Minecraft.

Minecraft will usually update to the latest version upon starting the game.



Is Minecraft safe to play for all age groups?

Our creation is G rated.

While the creators of Minecraft recommend the game for players aged 13+, our Minecraft exhibition has been created for families and kids 5+.

Parents who are more interested in Minecraft in general can read here: Minecraft frequently asked questions.