Table of Contents
Who this is for: Minecraft players wanting to add functional vertical transportation to their builds, from beginners to advanced redstone engineers.
Ready to jump in? Play minecraft games and start building your own creative elevators today!
Play free games on Playgama.com
Water Elevator: The Simplest Method
The easiest elevator to build uses water and soul sand or magma blocks. Dig a vertical shaft at least 3 blocks wide and as tall as needed. Place soul sand at the bottom for an upward elevator – it creates bubble columns that push you up quickly. For a downward elevator, use magma blocks instead, which pull you down through the water.
Fill the shaft completely with water from top to bottom. You’ll need water buckets or a more efficient method like placing kelp throughout the shaft, then breaking it all at once. The kelp trick turns every block into a water source, creating a smooth elevator experience.
Redstone-Powered Piston Elevators
For a more mechanical approach, build a piston elevator using sticky pistons and redstone circuits. Create a platform using blocks that pistons can push, then set up alternating sticky pistons on opposite sides of your shaft. Wire them to a redstone clock circuit that activates pistons in sequence, pushing your platform upward one block at a time.
This method requires more resources and redstone knowledge, but gives you precise control over elevator speed and stopping points. You can add buttons at different floors to call the elevator or stop at specific levels.
Slime Block Bounce Elevators
Slime blocks create bouncy elevators that launch you upward with each jump. Stack slime blocks vertically in your shaft, leaving 2-block gaps between each slime block for headroom. Jump on the bottom slime block and you’ll bounce progressively higher, reaching the top quickly.
Add water at the top to prevent fall damage when you reach your destination. This elevator type works best for shorter distances and provides a fun, bouncy ride.
Advanced Flying Machine Elevators
Flying machines use pistons, slime blocks, and observers to create self-moving platforms. Build a contraption with sticky pistons facing opposite directions, connected by slime blocks, with observers triggering the movement cycle. This creates a platform that moves continuously upward when activated.
These elevators can carry multiple players and even storage chests, making them ideal for multiplayer servers or moving large amounts of items between floors. The construction is complex but results in impressive automated transportation.
Whether you choose a simple water elevator or an elaborate redstone contraption, building elevators adds both functionality and engineering excitement to your Minecraft world, and you can practice these techniques in various building-focused experiences.
TL;DR
Build Minecraft elevators using water with soul sand/magma blocks for simple vertical transport, or create complex redstone piston systems for precise control and multiple floors.
