✨ What is this place?
Second Life is a 3D virtual world — not a game. There are no levels, no quests, no goals. You won't win anything. You decide what to do.
Explore, make friends, go to live music or club nights, dance, build, shop, create clothes or art, roleplay, learn a language, fall in love — thousands of different communities run their own corner of SL. If you're not sure where to start, pick a place below and just go. You can always teleport home with Ctrl+Shift+H.
Places to Go In-World
Click any link to teleport directly — make sure Second Life is running first
Desktop Learning Center
Where you started — return here any time for help
Welcome Hub
Meet other newcomers and find mentors
Sandbox Welcome Area
Free public area to build, try items and experiment
Firestorm Social Island
Help and free items for newcomers under 90 days
Palomma Plaza
Free clothing and accessories from top designers
Voice Echo Canyon
Test your microphone and voice settings here
Bellisseria Fairgrounds
Tall ships, games and community events — friendly crowd, lots to see and do
Combat 2.0 — Concord
Official Linden Lab combat destination — free weapons, PVE and PVP, beginner friendly
Free Items & Your Avatar
Look great without spending a penny
Free Marketplace Items
Thousands of L$0 items — clothes, accessories, furniture, animations and more. Shop from your browser, delivered to your inventory. Tip: search dollarbies for better results than "freebies".
FabFree 30-Day List
A regularly updated list of stores with free or very cheap items specifically for avatars under 30 days old.
SeraphimSL — Sales & Events
A blog tracking current sales, hunts and shopping events across the grid — worth checking before any big shopping trip to catch discounts.
Avatar Welcome Pack: You already have a free set of high-quality avatars! In Firestorm go to Avatar → Avatar Welcome Pack. In the SL Viewer look for "Avatar Welcome Pack" on the left taskbar. In Project Zero tap the Avatar tab at the bottom. No cost, no HUDs needed.
Bought something and it's a box? Some older items come packed in a box you need to open. Right-click the box in your inventory and choose Open — then Copy To Inventory. The contents appear in your inventory as a new folder. For very old items that won't open that way, rez the box on the ground (drag it from inventory to a sandbox floor), right-click → Open, then Copy To Inventory.
Add vs Wear: When putting on clothing, hair or attachments, right-click the item and choose Add rather than Wear. Add places the item on top of what you already have on; Wear replaces anything attached to the same spot — which is how people accidentally remove their own hair or shoes. Firestorm has a setting to make a double-click count as Add instead of Wear (in Preferences) — handy to switch on.
Your Avatar & Appearance
Looking good in Second Life
Avatar Welcome Pack
You already have a free set of high-quality avatars — mesh heads and bodies from top creators, no cost and no HUDs needed. 3 skin tones × male & female, 3 clothing sets each.
Project Zero — "Avatar" tab at the bottom
SL Viewer — "Avatar Welcome Pack" on left taskbar
Firestorm — Avatar menu → Avatar Welcome Pack
SL Viewer — "Avatar Welcome Pack" on left taskbar
Firestorm — Avatar menu → Avatar Welcome Pack
Avatar Welcome Pack & Project Zero
Official Second Life University video — walks through building a quality avatar from the free Avatar Welcome Pack, then introduces Project Zero (browser-based login).
What is a Mesh Body?
Think of the default avatar as a basic mannequin. A mesh body is a custom suit you wear over it — much better detail and compatible with modern clothing. They cost L$ but free demos let you try before you buy.
Female: Maitreya LaraX · eBODY Reborn · Legacy
Male: Legacy Athletic · Belleza Jake · Signature Gianni X
Heads: LeLutka (most popular — free demos in-store)
Male: Legacy Athletic · Belleza Jake · Signature Gianni X
Heads: LeLutka (most popular — free demos in-store)
Free Avatar Resources
Under 90 days old? Visit Firestorm Social Island for free Milena (female) or Mike (male) mesh heads. Palomma Plaza has free clothing and accessories from top designers — no time limit.
Welcome Pack Lite items & sliders: The Lite heads and bodies have built-in slider limitations — some sliders (especially around the chin) won't respond. This persists even when mixing: pairing a Lite body with a full LeLutka head will still constrain the shape. Use shapes designed for Lite items, or upgrade to the full versions for complete slider control.
Makeup not showing on a Welcome Pack head? The Lite heads can't use HD appliers — the scripted layers many creators use for lipstick, eyeshadow and detailed makeup. The makeup is applied but never appears. If a resident wants a full makeup look, point them to a free mesh head at Firestorm Social Island, or a full head such as LeLutka — both support HD appliers.
What is EvoX? You'll see skins and head textures described as EVO or EVOX compatible. These are simply texture standards for modern mesh heads — EvoX is the current one, used by LeLutka and many other heads. When buying a skin or head texture, match it to your head's standard: an EvoX head needs EvoX textures. Most stores label this clearly and offer free demos.
🔀 My avatar looks wrong — what do I do?
My avatar is naked, grey, or missing a body part / clothing item
↓
Is your whole avatar naked or grey?
Yes — naked or grey
Go to Avatar → Avatar Welcome Pack in the top menu bar and choose a complete starter look — it's free and instant
↓
Still grey / cloudy?
↓
Go to Avatar → Avatar Health → Rebake Textures
Shortcut:
Shortcut:
Ctrl+Alt+R (PC) · Cmd+Option+R (Mac)↓
Still not fixed? Change to a different region or relog
↓
✓ Fixed!
No — just a missing piece
Open Inventory (
Ctrl+I) and click the WORN tab↓
Note the folder name shown next to your body or outfit — e.g. "Female body - B" or "Female look - Casual"
↓
In main inventory go to Clothing → [that folder name]. Items in bold are worn — the item that's not bold is the missing piece
↓
Right-click the missing item → Add
↓
✓ Fixed!
Everyone has disappeared — including me!
You've accidentally toggled avatar rendering off. Press
Ctrl+Alt+Shift+4 (PC) or Cmd+Option+Shift+4 (Mac) to bring everyone backSomething is stuck to my head (or body) and won't come off!
Right-click the attachment → Detach. Or right-click your avatar → Take Off → Detach All to remove everything at once.
↓
Still stuck?
↓
It's a ghost attachment — the viewer thinks it's gone but your screen hasn't caught up. Log out and log back in. That always clears it.
↓
✓ Gone!
Explore & Discover
Second Life is enormous — here's where to start
Destination Guide
The official guide to the best places in Second Life — music venues, art galleries, beaches, roleplay communities and much more.
Events Calendar
Live music, club nights, art shows, community meetups — something is always happening in Second Life every hour of the day.
ShowBuzz Live
See who's performing live in Second Life right now — artists, DJs and clubs, all in one place. Click any listing to get a landmark and teleport straight there.
Building a Quality Avatar
Ready to invest in your look? These are some of the brands you'll commonly hear mentioned in the community — there are many more out there and no single list is definitive. Your mentor can advise you further in-world. Always try the free demo before buying.
🧍 Mesh Bodies
MeshBody Legacy
One of the most widely supported bodies in SL — female (Perky, Petite, Special) and male (Athletic, Classic). Free demos.
Maitreya
Home of the Lara & LaraX female mesh bodies — a huge range of compatible clothing available across SL.
eBODY Reborn
Very popular female mesh body with rapidly growing clothing support — a strong alternative to Maitreya.
Signature — Gianni X
The longest-established male mesh body in SL — active since 2015, updated to Gianni X 7.0 in 2025, with massive clothing support.
🎨 Skins
Not Found
Premium skins blending realism and artistry — futuristic, dark, and modern styles. Demos available in-store.
VELOUR
High-quality head and body skins for LeLutka EvoX and popular mesh bodies. A go-to for realistic skin tones.
DeeTaleZ
Highly detailed BOM skins for LeLutka EvoX and popular mesh bodies — wide range of skin tones and styles.
Stray Dog
Premium male skins with a focus on diversity and international aesthetics — LeLutka EvoX compatible. Demos available.
💇 Hair
Truth
One of SL's longest-established and most trusted hair stores — hundreds of styles for male and female, free demos.
Stealthic
Rigged and unrigged mesh hair for male and female avatars — stylish, modern cuts with colour HUDs. Free demos.
L'Etre DOUX
Quality hair and skins for male and female avatars — known for natural, everyday styles and reliable HUDs.
Volkstone
Male hair, hairbases, beards and facial hair — highly detailed styles with multi-option HUDs. BOM and LeLutka EvoX compatible.
Always demo first! Every reputable store offers free demos — wear them before spending a single L$. Mesh heads, bodies, skins and hair can all look very different on your shape. Demos are your best friend.
Getting Help
You're never alone in Second Life
Knowledge Base
Linden Lab's official help centre — answers to hundreds of common questions about Second Life.
Community Answers Forum
Ask questions and get answers from experienced residents. A friendly and active community ready to help.
Official Support
Need help from Linden Lab directly? Submit a support ticket for account, billing or technical issues.
Look for Mentors in-world! SL Mentors wear a Mentor tag and are there specifically to help newcomers. Don't hesitate to say hello — they're there because they genuinely want to help.
Someone is bothering me — what do I do?
Simple steps to stay safe and take back control
1. Block them
Right-click the avatar → Block. You won't see or hear them again on your viewer. Blocking is private — they aren't told.
2. Teleport home
Press
Ctrl+Shift+H (PC) or Cmd+Shift+H (Mac) to teleport home instantly. If you haven't set a home yet, teleport to any safe place from the World Map.3. File an Abuse Report
If someone breaks the rules, report them to Linden Lab. Go to Help → Report Abuse, pick a category, describe what happened and submit. Take a screenshot first with
Ctrl+Shift+S.4. Find a Mentor
Look for anyone wearing a Mentor tag — they're volunteers trained to help. You can also return to the Desktop Learning Center or Welcome Hub where mentors are often nearby.
🔒 Stop people pushing or shoving you
Agalmic Movelock — free (L$0)
A small HUD you wear. It softly locks your avatar in place when you're standing still, so nobody can push you around. The moment you move, it releases — no jitter, no snap-back. Auto-off when you sit, auto-on when you stand. Includes Find Space, which automatically moves you to an empty spot when you teleport into a crowd. Works in every viewer.
🎁 Get it free on Marketplace ↗Remember: behind every avatar is a real person. If someone makes you uncomfortable, you have every right to block, leave and report. You don't owe anyone an explanation.
Adult Content in Second Life
What you need to know before exploring this side of SL
You Must Be 18 or Over
Adult content in Second Life is strictly for residents aged 18 and over. This is enforced by Linden Lab's Terms of Service — misrepresenting your age is a violation.
It's Opt-In
Adult content is not available by default. Enable it in Preferences → General and set your content access to General, Moderate, Adult.
Adult Regions Only
Adult content must take place on Adult-rated regions only — it is not permitted on General or Moderate land. Adult regions are clearly labelled in the viewer.
Consent & Respect
Always ask before initiating any intimate interaction — and anyone can withdraw consent at any time. Start with conversation, not action. Remember: behind every avatar is a real person with real feelings.
🏠 The Adult Hub
The Adult Hub is a welcoming, tasteful space created by Linden Lab for residents who are 18 or over and curious about the adult side of Second Life. It's not a venue full of strangers — think of it as a well-designed adult social area with beautiful landscaping where you can find your bearings at your own pace. The Hub includes private hotel rooms (available for 30 minutes with a partner or partners), saunas, a pool, a naturist beach, a main beach, and a club. You'll also find information boards, teleport portals to adult locations and entertainment across the grid, and the ThundrGO dating HUD. The Hub itself is calm and social — well moderated, with everyone clothed on the day of writing. When you arrive you'll be asked to agree to the region rules and confirm your maturity rating is set to Adult. Adult-themed furniture throughout the Hub includes built-in consent systems — you'll be asked to accept any interaction before it begins.
📍 By clicking this link I confirm I am 18 or over — Teleport to the Adult HubImportant: Sexual ageplay is strictly prohibited with no exceptions, regardless of region or consent. This includes avatars that appear to be minors in a sexual context. Violations are taken very seriously by Linden Lab.