Tenpenny Tower Tenpenny Tower is a fortified settlement in the Capital Wasteland containing one of two locations for safe player housing ( the other being Megaton ) ; Tenpenny Tower is located out in the wastes west of the DC ruins , directly southwest of the RobCo main production facility . A pre - War luxury hotel , by 2277 Tenpenny Tower had become a private and elitist residential and commercial building owned by Allistair Tenpenny , who only permits the well - to - do or wealthy to reside there . Tenpenny is prejudiced , especially against the " ghoul problem " that is the frequent attempts of sentient ghouls to gain access and residence . Completing a very evil act , rigging Megaton ' s atomic bomb to explode , will gain the Lone Wanderer possession of their own penthouse suite here . Background . Pre - War . Before the Great War in 2077 , the tower was a resort . The ghoul Michael Masters , who was once an eminent scientist 200 years previously , vacationed at the tower and noted that it was " a resort for the wealthy and powerful . " Michael Masters also claims that the hotel was built on the foundations of a plantation . Allistair Tenpenny , an entrepreneur from England , along with a small mercenary crew led by Chief Gustavo , right - hand - man Mister Burke and including the protectron Shakes , came across the tower and rid it of a few feral ghouls . After realizing the water in the tower was not irradiated and still clean , a rarity in the wasteland , they siphoned off electricity from the still - working underground DC Metro system to return power to the tower . Afterwards , it was fortified with steel and concrete barricades , some exterior walls were strengthened in the same manner , and it was renamed Tenpenny Tower in accordance with Tenpenny ' s elitist vision . Soon , word had spread among the wastes and many flocked to this new settlement , but Tenpenny would only let in traders or those with enough caps , and certainly no ghouls . Soon shops , a bar and a clinic were set up in and around the lobby . The penthouse suites were given to Tenpenny ' s favored , where they could watch Tenpenny take pot - shots with his sniper rifle as part of his " wasteland safari . " Gustavo took over security detail for the tower and concerned himself with the " ghoul problem , " Mr . Burke set out to find a way to end the " eyesore " on the horizon which distressed Tenpenny and Shakes was reprogrammed to be the tower ' s barman . Layout . Exterior . The structure itself is surrounded by tall concrete walls , which create a compound of sorts . Around the rear of the building is the entrance to the generator room , which is used in the quest " Tenpenny Tower . " There is also a covered area to the right of the main gate which serves as the guards ' quarters . The building did not completely escape damage from the bombs , and was repaired with sheets of metal in the areas of the hotel that took the most damage . The wall can be jumped over to get inside , which is particularly useful to avoid paying the entrance bribe , or if the fusion pulse charge has not been attached to the bomb in Megaton during the quest " The Power of the Atom . " To get inside , go to the west side of the wall and look for a relatively large outcrop of rocks . There is a portion of the wall that has fallen over and is lying on the ground against the rest of the barrier . Jump on top of the broken piece and then through the gap . Should it be chosen to enter through the wall without ever coming through the actual gate , the gate can be opened from the inside by interacting with the speaker near the guard posted there . If not , it is required to pay to come inside again when speaking to the gate keeper through the intercom . Interior . Entering the building , the Lone Wanderer will find themselves in the lobby , which contains stairs to the third - floor apartments , an elevator to the penthouse , and is home to a variety of businesses , including : The Lone Wanderer ' s suite shares a balcony with Allistair Tenpenny ' s , who can sometimes be found there , hunting with his sniper rifle . While it is possible to steal from the safes and cash boxes of the store owners , doing so causes the store owners to complain about security and leave , meaning the player character can no longer shop from them . However , the player character can follow them outside Tenpenny Tower and kill them for their inventory keys without making the other residents hostile . Appearances . Tenpenny Tower appears only in " Fallout 3 " but a picture of it and a man standing in front of it can be found in The Tops Casino in " " . This picture also appears in a room on the top floor of the REPCONN test site .