Maintaining history: museum facilities management at historic sites

Facilities management is vital to museums that are associated with historic sites, yet it is often overlooked by the museum community. Maintaining the most important asset of these museums, the site itself, is essential for the continued existence of these historically valuable locations. In this thesis, the role of the Facilities Manager is examined by defining the responsibilities of facilities management and characterizing the status of facilities management at historic sites. A survey of 150 historic sites in the United States was conducted, resulting in a response rate of 31%. After a discussion, a set of conclusions and recommendations are presented. It is concluded that facilities management at museums that are associated with historic sites is a complex responsibility, which is often not performed by dedicated staff, and that professionalizing facilities management requires more attention from the museum community, additional research, and the integration of useful resources.