Cultural-historical and, inter alia, archaeological sites provide opportunities to meet different needs and interests, such as aesthetic, symbolic, educational, research and others. No less important are the economic opportunities offered by the development of the potential of cultural heritage sites. Socio-economic interests and thus the opportunities provided by heritage sites, depending on the quality and significance thereof, affect many stakeholders - their owners (individuals, companies and other organizations, municipalities, state), local community, researchers, tourists, businesses, mass media, heritage institutions, etc., as well as society as a whole. However, it is widely acknowledged that investment in cultural heritage sites (including conservation, restoration, maintenance, marketing, etc.) tends to outweigh their direct economic benefits (direct revenue). The financial and informational aspect of state aid is important, as ownership of an object with the status of a cultural monument not only increases socio-economic opportunities, but also imposes certain obligations and business activity restrictions. Thus, questions arise: does the immovable cultural object represent opportunities or burden to its owner? What does the effective use of the cultural object owner's opportunities depend on? The presentation, analyzing the situation in Latvia and making international comparisons, uses the integration of socio-economic and legal approaches to the researched issue. It provides both theoretical and practical insight into the problems of cultural-historical (especially - archaeological) heritage objects development potential and possible solutions thereto. The presentation is based on the authors' research made in 2020 -2021.