OBO VR

The Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations Office of Cultural Heritage was established to implement a stewardship program for the collections of the U.S. Department of State that are located in diplomatic facilities abroad and for the culturally significant properties owned or leased by the federal government in other countries. The program includes research, conservation and maintenance guides, and exhibit design.

The Office of Cultural Heritage has a team of historians, curators, conservators, architects, and engineers to manage the diverse collection of fine and decorative arts and real property heritage assets of the Department of State. The portfolio is routinely evaluated and recommendations for conservation, rehabilitation, and adaptive reuse are made as contemporary needs demand. Today the collection consists of 15,000 objects. More than 240 properties are recognized as heritage assets, protected under preservation laws in the United States and by host governments.