The State Curator’s Office and Volunteer Tour Guides

The Vermont State Curator’s Office oversees the restoration, care and conservation of the historic Vermont State House and its collections of fine art, decorative art and historic furniture, much of which is exhibited there. In addition, the office manages three gallery spaces in the Capitol District which rotate exhibitions of Vermont contemporary art: the Vermont Supreme Court Gallery in the lobby of the Supreme Court Building and the State House cafeteria. Care, management and interpretation of the broader State Art Collection is also a responsibility of this office.

The State Curator’s Office works closely with the Friends of the Vermont State House, a private nonprofit organization, to interpret the building to over 150,000 visitors per year, training and deploying over 100 volunteers who work at the State House as general tour guides, school tour guides or as attendants for Under the Dome gift shop or gift cart.  The office also undertakes special exhibitions, publications and programs that enhance visitor appreciation of the State House and its collections.

Maintenance and renovation projects undertaken at historic buildings owned by the State of Vermont and managed by the Department of Buildings and General Services are reviewed by the State Curator’s Office.  Curatorial staff conduct research and provide support to ensure that projects are carried out in accord with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Rehabilitation of Historic Structures, and that their historic features are not only respected, but enhanced.