Grand Theft Auto 3is a golden title that sparked the meteoric rise of Rockstar Games.The title revolutionized open-world gamingas we know it, with its driving mechanics still being absolutely superb for its time that only a few other modern open-world games have managed to emulate properly.
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With the release of the Definitive Edition, there’s no better time to get intoGrand Theft Auto 3than right now. The game has never looked better, with the title featuring a wealth of content that will keep players occupied for hours on end. Of course, there’s no denying the fact that the remaster suffers from its fair share of problems, but players who manage to look past these issues will find themselves enjoying a great game regardless.
Players who want to seek out some of the more cryptic and hidden locations present inGrand Theft Auto 3should definitely check out this list to find out the most notable examples in this regard.
7A Hard-To-Access Parking Lot In Bedford Point
Rockstar Games like to add a ton of funny signs in their games.This applied toGrand Theft Auto 3as well, where players can place a high-rise car and engage in a bit of parkour to enter a parking lot that they would have no access to otherwise.
Their insistence is rewarded with a hilarious message near the end of this parking lot talking about how they weren’t supposed to be here at all. It’s a great moment that shows how much attention Rockstar put into making this open-world as engaging as possible.
6Rockstar Games' Staff Hidden To Look Like Town Names On The World Map
Most people would assume that there’s no way to fly inGrand Theft Auto 3, with the title mostly featuring cars and boats as the primary means of transport. However, this couldn’t be further away from the truth — players can actually gain access to the Dodo plane in the Francis International Airport after completing the mission “Grand Theft Aero”.
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With the added means of flight, players can access a bunch of secrets that were otherwise impossible to reach. For starters, flying directly north of Liberty City will allow players to check out a number of town names in the minimap, which are actually the disguised names of the programmers who worked onGrand Theft Auto 3.
5The Ghost Town Where The First Cutscene Took Place
With the Dodo, there’s another eerie location that can be accessed. This area is present near the developer town names that have been discussed in the previous entry and makes for one of the best secrets in the game by a country mile.
At the start of the game, players witness a cutscene whereClaude is betrayed by his partners and left to diein an undisclosed location. This area cannot be accessed anywhere else in Liberty City… but was actually a custom-made area for this particular cutscene. Players can access this small town-like area with the Dodo, where it is revealed to be nothing more than a bunch of basic textures with no collision detection whatsoever.
It’s easy to see why this area is called a Ghost Town by many.
4An In-Game Store In Staunton Island Selling Grand Theft Auto 3
Rockstar Games is no stranger to referencing their own games in the titles they release. This applies toGrand Theft Auto 3as well, where a store in Staunton Island features a rather cheeky message that most players would miss out on if they don’t pay attention.
The store has a banner that flashes some information, along with the message “GTA 3 OUT NOW” and “WWW.ROCKSTARGAMES.COM” as well! It’s a fun little nod to Rockstar’s trademark humor, and is subtle enough that most players won’t even notice it in their playthrough!
3The Tunnel Of Blue Hell That Allows Players To Access All The Islands From The Get-Go
Finding a shortcut that lets players access areas of the world map well before they’re supposed to is bound to be one of the coolest — and unintentional — secrets in the game. This blue hell tunnel can be accessed by somehow placing some vehicles and accessing the ceiling of the Porter Tunnel.
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If done correctly, then players will enter a blue hell landscape that allows them to access the other two tunnels in the game way before they’re supposed to. However, do keep in mind that Claude will re-appear at the hospital and police station of the first island if that’s the only one unlocked till now.
2The TW@ Internet Cafe With Screenshots Of The First Two Games
The TW@ Internet Cafe is one of the most legendary locations inGrand Theft Auto, withGTA 4being the only title where players could actually interact with the cafe. However, there’s an iteration of the cafein the third gamethat can be interacted with… albeit with a bit of destruction.
Players need to smash the front of this store to gain access to the cafe. While there’s not really much to do here — aside from a hidden stunt jump — players can head to the first floor to find computers that have screenshots of the first two games on them.
1A Monument Dedicated To The War Of 1936 In Front Of Francis International Airport
A rather unique secret that most players aren’t aware of inGrand Theft Auto 3is the monument outside of Francis International Airport, which pays its respects to a war that happened in 1936. This is possibly a reference to the Red Scare era, which is considered by many to be one of the most intolerant eras in American history.
The fact that the statue has a cone on its head is further proof of this. After all, being a conehead implies that the person is a bigot, and there was definitely a ton of bigotry present during this era.
Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogywas re-released on July 19, 2025, and is available on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch.
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