diff --git a/.github/workflows/test-all-packages.yml b/.github/workflows/test-all-packages.yml
index 564e7457d020..102da4de14b9 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test-all-packages.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test-all-packages.yml
@@ -201,6 +201,8 @@ jobs:
         run: cd packages/time && yarn ${{ steps.vars.outputs.test }} | $TEST_COLLECT
       - name: yarn test (swingset-liveslots)
         run: cd packages/swingset-liveslots && yarn ${{ steps.vars.outputs.test }} | $TEST_COLLECT
+      - name: yarn test (zone)
+        run: cd packages/zone && yarn ${{ steps.vars.outputs.test }} | $TEST_COLLECT
 
         # The meta-test!
       - name: Check for untested packages
diff --git a/packages/zone/durable.js b/packages/zone/durable.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..cabf929916fc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/zone/durable.js
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+export * from './src/durable.js';
diff --git a/packages/zone/heap.js b/packages/zone/heap.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..deb751bdf4f9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/zone/heap.js
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+export * from './src/heap.js';
diff --git a/packages/zone/jsconfig.json b/packages/zone/jsconfig.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..d8f08ac74d1d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/zone/jsconfig.json
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+// This file can contain .js-specific Typescript compiler config.
+{
+  "compilerOptions": {
+    "target": "esnext",
+    "module": "esnext",
+    "checkJs": true,
+    "noEmit": true,
+    "downlevelIteration": true,
+    "strictNullChecks": true,
+    "noImplicitThis": true,
+    "moduleResolution": "node",
+  },
+  "include": [
+    "*.js",
+    "scripts",
+    "src",
+    "test",
+  ],
+}
diff --git a/packages/zone/package.json b/packages/zone/package.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..493ac1596267
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/zone/package.json
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+{
+  "name": "@agoric/zone",
+  "version": "0.1.0",
+  "description": "Allocation zone abstraction for objects on the heap, persistent stores, etc.",
+  "type": "module",
+  "repository": "https://github.com/Agoric/agoric-sdk",
+  "main": "./src/index.js",
+  "scripts": {
+    "build": "exit 0",
+    "test": "true || ava",
+    "test:c8": "true || c8 $C8_OPTIONS ava --config=ava-nesm.config.js",
+    "test:xs": "exit 0",
+    "lint-fix": "yarn lint:eslint --fix",
+    "lint": "run-s --continue-on-error lint:*",
+    "lint:types": "tsc -p jsconfig.json",
+    "lint:eslint": "eslint ."
+  },
+  "exports": {
+    ".": "./src/index.js",
+    "./durable.js": "./durable.js",
+    "./heap.js": "./heap.js",
+    "./virtual.js": "./virtual.js"
+  },
+  "keywords": [],
+  "author": "Agoric",
+  "license": "Apache-2.0",
+  "dependencies": {
+    "@agoric/store": "^0.8.3",
+    "@agoric/vat-data": "^0.4.3",
+    "@endo/far": "^0.2.14"
+  },
+  "devDependencies": {},
+  "publishConfig": {
+    "access": "public"
+  },
+  "engines": {
+    "node": ">=14.15.0"
+  },
+  "ava": {
+    "files": [
+      "test/**/test-*.js"
+    ],
+    "timeout": "20m",
+    "workerThreads": false
+  }
+}
diff --git a/packages/zone/src/durable.js b/packages/zone/src/durable.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..aa484f26017c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/zone/src/durable.js
@@ -0,0 +1,82 @@
+import {
+  canBeDurable,
+  makeScalarMapStore,
+  prepareExo,
+  prepareExoClass,
+  prepareExoClassKit,
+  provideDurableMapStore,
+  provideDurableSetStore,
+  provideDurableWeakMapStore,
+  provideDurableWeakSetStore,
+  M,
+} from '@agoric/vat-data';
+
+import { Far } from '@endo/far';
+
+/**
+ * @param {() => import('@agoric/vat-data').Baggage} getBaggage
+ */
+const attachDurableStores = getBaggage => {
+  /** @type {import('.').Zone['mapStore']} */
+  const mapStore = (label, options) =>
+    provideDurableMapStore(getBaggage(), label, options);
+  /** @type {import('.').Zone['setStore']} */
+  const setStore = (label, options) =>
+    provideDurableSetStore(getBaggage(), label, options);
+  /** @type {import('.').Zone['weakSetStore']} */
+  const weakSetStore = (label, options) =>
+    provideDurableWeakSetStore(getBaggage(), label, options);
+  /** @type {import('.').Zone['weakMapStore']} */
+  const weakMapStore = (label, options) =>
+    provideDurableWeakMapStore(getBaggage(), label, options);
+
+  /** @type {import('.').Stores} */
+  return Far('durableStores', {
+    // eslint-disable-next-line no-use-before-define
+    detached: () => detachedDurableStores,
+    isStorable: canBeDurable,
+    mapStore,
+    setStore,
+    weakMapStore,
+    weakSetStore,
+  });
+};
+
+/** @type {import('.').Stores} */
+export const detachedDurableStores = attachDurableStores(() =>
+  makeScalarMapStore('detached'),
+);
+
+/**
+ * Create a zone whose objects persist between Agoric vat upgrades.
+ *
+ * @param {import('@agoric/vat-data').Baggage} baggage
+ * @returns {import('.').Zone}
+ */
+export const makeDurableZone = baggage => {
+  /** @type {import('.').Zone['exoClass']} */
+  const exoClass = (...args) => prepareExoClass(baggage, ...args);
+  /** @type {import('.').Zone['exoClassKit']} */
+  const exoClassKit = (...args) => prepareExoClassKit(baggage, ...args);
+  /** @type {import('.').Zone['exo']} */
+  const exo = (...args) => prepareExo(baggage, ...args);
+
+  const attachedStores = attachDurableStores(() => baggage);
+
+  /** @type {import('.').Zone['subZone']} */
+  const subZone = (label, options = {}) => {
+    const subBaggage = provideDurableMapStore(baggage, label, options);
+    return makeDurableZone(subBaggage);
+  };
+
+  return Far('durableZone', {
+    exo,
+    exoClass,
+    exoClassKit,
+    subZone,
+    ...attachedStores,
+  });
+};
+harden(makeDurableZone);
+
+export { M };
diff --git a/packages/zone/src/heap.js b/packages/zone/src/heap.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..204866956e3e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/zone/src/heap.js
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+import {
+  makeExo,
+  defineExoClass,
+  defineExoClassKit,
+  makeScalarMapStore,
+  makeScalarSetStore,
+  makeScalarWeakMapStore,
+  makeScalarWeakSetStore,
+  M,
+} from '@agoric/store';
+
+import { Far } from '@endo/far';
+
+/**
+ * @type {import('.').Stores}
+ */
+const heapStores = Far('heapStores', {
+  detached: () => heapStores,
+  isStorable: _specimen => true,
+
+  setStore: makeScalarSetStore,
+  mapStore: makeScalarMapStore,
+  weakMapStore: makeScalarWeakMapStore,
+  weakSetStore: makeScalarWeakSetStore,
+});
+
+/**
+ * A heap (in-memory) zone that uses the default exo and store implementations.
+ *
+ * @type {import('.').Zone}
+ */
+export const heapZone = Far('heapZone', {
+  exoClass: defineExoClass,
+  exoClassKit: defineExoClassKit,
+  exo: makeExo,
+  subZone: (_label, _options) => heapZone,
+  ...heapStores,
+});
+
+export { M };
diff --git a/packages/zone/src/index.js b/packages/zone/src/index.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..ebed4fee7079
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/zone/src/index.js
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+import { makeExo, defineExoClass, defineExoClassKit } from '@agoric/store';
+
+export * from './heap.js';
+
+// References to allow the below typeofs to succeed.
+makeExo;
+defineExoClass;
+defineExoClassKit;
+
+/**
+ * @typedef {ExoZone & Stores} Zone A bag of methods for creating defensible objects and
+ * collections with the same allocation semantics (ephemeral, persistent, etc)
+ */
+
+/**
+ * @typedef {object} ExoZone
+ * @property {typeof makeExo} exo create a singleton exo-object instance bound to this zone
+ * @property {typeof defineExoClass} exoClass create a maker function that can be used to create exo-objects bound to this zone
+ * @property {typeof defineExoClassKit} exoClassKit create a "kit" maker function that can be used to create a record of exo-objects sharing the same state
+ * @property {(label: string, options?: StoreOptions) => Zone} subZone create a new Zone that can be passed to untrusted consumers without exposing the storage of the parent zone
+ */
+
+/**
+ * @typedef {object} Stores
+ * @property {() => Stores} detached obtain store providers which are detached (the stores are anonymous rather than bound to `label` in the zone)
+ * @property {(specimen: unknown) => boolean} isStorable return true if the specimen can be stored in the zone, whether as exo-object state or in a store
+ * @property {<K,V>(label: string, options?: StoreOptions) => MapStore<K, V>} mapStore provide a Map-like store named `label` in the zone
+ * @property {<K>(label: string, options?: StoreOptions) => SetStore<K>} setStore provide a Set-like store named `label` in the zone
+ * @property {<K,V>(
+ *   label: string, options?: StoreOptions) => WeakMapStore<K, V>
+ * } weakMapStore provide a WeakMap-like store named `label` in the zone
+ * @property {<K>(
+ *   label: string, options?: StoreOptions) => WeakSetStore<K>
+ * } weakSetStore provide a WeakSet-like store named `label` in the zone
+ */
diff --git a/packages/zone/src/virtual.js b/packages/zone/src/virtual.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..fea6a47d95d7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/zone/src/virtual.js
@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+import {
+  canBeDurable,
+  defineVirtualExoClass,
+  defineVirtualExoClassKit,
+  makeScalarBigMapStore,
+  makeScalarBigSetStore,
+  makeScalarBigWeakMapStore,
+  makeScalarBigWeakSetStore,
+  M,
+} from '@agoric/vat-data';
+
+import { Far } from '@endo/far';
+
+const emptyRecord = harden({});
+const initEmpty = harden(() => emptyRecord);
+
+/**
+ * This implementation of `defineVirtualExo` only exists to ensure there are no
+ * gaps in the virtualZone API.
+ *
+ * @type {import('.').Zone['exo']}
+ */
+const defineVirtualExo = (
+  label,
+  interfaceGuard,
+  methods,
+  options = undefined,
+) => {
+  const defineKindOptions =
+    /** @type {import('@agoric/vat-data').DefineKindOptions<{ self: typeof methods }>} */ (
+      options
+    );
+  const makeInstance = defineVirtualExoClass(
+    label,
+    interfaceGuard,
+    initEmpty,
+    methods,
+    defineKindOptions,
+  );
+  return makeInstance();
+};
+
+/** @type {import('.').Stores} */
+export const detachedVirtualStores = Far('virtualStores', {
+  detached: () => detachedVirtualStores,
+  isStorable: canBeDurable,
+  mapStore: makeScalarBigMapStore,
+  setStore: makeScalarBigSetStore,
+  weakMapStore: makeScalarBigWeakMapStore,
+  weakSetStore: makeScalarBigWeakSetStore,
+});
+
+/**
+ * A zone that utilizes external storage to reduce the memory footprint of the
+ * current vat.
+ *
+ * @type {import('.').Zone}
+ */
+export const virtualZone = Far('virtualZone', {
+  exo: defineVirtualExo,
+  exoClass: defineVirtualExoClass,
+  exoClassKit: defineVirtualExoClassKit,
+  subZone: (_label, _options = {}) => virtualZone,
+
+  ...detachedVirtualStores,
+});
+
+export { M };
diff --git a/packages/zone/virtual.js b/packages/zone/virtual.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..a635f7d39bd8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/zone/virtual.js
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+export * from './src/virtual.js';