In this paper we take stock of how cultural heritage and the future are interconnected, from a largely archaeological perspective. We indicate which future trends can be identified that heritage sector strategies will need to adjust to. We also discuss some specialcategories of cultural heritage that in all likelihood will be of the distant future, whether we like it or not. We review how the heritage sector has failed to give sufficient attention to future issues and argue that this short-coming should be remedied as soon as possible. We would like to draw attention to the fact that the heritage sector lacks a thorough engagement with questions concerning the future benefits of cultural heritage and thus concerning the appropriateness of present-day practices and policies in heritage management.