St. Louis Old Courthouse

Wow! What a great piece of American history! We were surprised when we entered the courthouse to find the grand architecture and murals that were painted throughout. We participated in the reenactment of the Dread Scott trial (highly recommend) and learned a ton. The gift shop was great as well and offered everything from magnets to canned preserves. The apple butter was delicious! Definitely recommend!

I usually don’t leave reviews for places like this, but I would feel remiss if I did not. This building is so beautiful, its almost not fair. My mom and I were walking around and through the different exhibits when one of the rangers was about to start a tour. Early on a snowy morning there was really no one else around so we ended up getting a private tour — although she asked others if they wanted to join as we went through the building. Her name was Nancy, and she was absolutely one of the passionate people about her job that I have ever met. We ended up doing a 1.5 hour tour throughout the building and she shared SO much information with us that we never would have known about while walking through! It was an amazing experience and I feel so fortunate to have met her and have been able to listen to even a fraction of what she knows about the building and its history. She has been working there since 1972 and really seems to immerse herself in her cities history. If you get here, make sure you see if she is giving a tour — you won’t regret it!

Looks like a State Capitol building but nope, it used to be a courthouse. Absolutely beautiful inside, built in 1828 it is a marvel. Has a museum rich with African American history. I had no clue whatsoever but learned here about where a very brave man Dred Scott sued the United States of America on behalf of himself and his wife Harriet for being enslaved. They actually lost and were determined to be «property» and not US residents by the Supreme Court. There is a statue of them in the front.
You can also purchase tickets to the Arch here.

When visiting the city of St. Louis, a must see for true history buffs like myself, and its free! Before my couple of trips to St. Louis, I was scratching my head whenever viewing photos of this building and the famous arch. Wondering what was a capital building doing in St. Louis? Not realizing that it was a courthouse; a very historic courthouse.
Built in 1828, the Old Courthouse is most noted for the Dred Scott case that took place here in 1847, after Mr. Scott and his wife Harriet sued for their freedom. The case was Scott v. Emerson. The verdict went against him and his family. Study your history to refresh your memory of this American history lesson, that went back and forth for many years we all studied in school… Or should have.
On walking through this building, one can feel the years of courtroom drama. There is a great exhibit on the history of the Dred Scott case and his family, with rare photos and artifacts. Almost an eerie feeling came over me at times, because you can almost find yourself alone as you wander the floors. There are courtrooms furnished to their 19^th century period and you can walk a good ways into them. Various plaques commemorate some of the standout events that have taken place here, but they have lost track of the actual Scott v. Emerson courtroom. Only speculating where it may have taken place. A fascinating walk through an important landmark of America’s past.
On a lighter note, there is an interesting souvenir shop and tickets to the Gateway Arch can also be purchased here.

I love history so I was totally excited about visiting such an historic place in St. Louis. I happened to go on a day that was almost 100 degrees, so it was very hot; since there was no central air when it was built (I guess). There is signage all over to walk you through extensive eras of St. Louis history in regards to law, society and even slavery. Signage is very descriptive and thorough and helps you envision what it was like in it’s heyday. Get there early! We arrived before 9:30 and it was already getting crowded since it is also where you purchase tix for the Gateway Arch. I only gave it three stars because of the heat and the lack of available parking in the area.

While most courthouses have importance and for famous trials this courthouse built in 1828 is significant for its history and architecture. And two rather infamous trials and events.
In 1846 the slave Dred Scott sued for his and his wife’s freedom as they had been held as slaves in free states. It was found by the Supreme Court of the United States they were not citizens and were sold back into slavery. My understanding is they were sold on these courthouse steps.
In 1872 Virginia Minor attempted to vote in a St. Louis election and was arrested. One of the first attempts at suffrage. While voting rights were not addressed in the constitution and was a state by state jurisdiction it took until August 18, 1920 for women right to vote throughout the country.
Courthouse can be many things this one was rather infamous. It is hard not to walk into that courthouse and think people were purchased and sold in this country and at this location. And women could not vote until 1920.
We must learn from our history and never repeat the mistakes we have made again and forever.

I had the pleasure of visiting the old courthouse during my recent trip and would definitely recommend it for any one who is visiting St. Louis. I also had the privilege of taking the Dred Scott tour at 2:00pm on July 27. We were the only people who took the tour and I was very impressed with the tour and the information the tour guide shared with us, I wish I remembered his name. He even opened up a secured area of one of the court rooms so my dad and I can get a picture of us standing up on the judges stand. The tour guide was so nice he even took our picture. After the tour we even spent some time talking to him about baseball and other topics. We were extremely impressed with the time he took with us and the knowledge he shared. I am not aware of the court houses popularity as a tourist attraction, but in my opinion it should be the top of a tourists «must visit» list. Thank you for a wonderful experience!

This is a very impressive and historic building that is operate by the National Park Service. It also currently serves as the place to buy tickets for the Arch while its under renovation.
This building used to be the main courthouse for the area. The most historic case decided here is the Dred Scott case.
The inside and outside of this building are awe inspiring. I especially like standing inside the building and looking up at all the floors from the atrium. There are many painting in here that showcase the history of Missouri. This is one place well worth seeing if you’re a tourist with any interest in history.

When I called in advance to purchase my tickets for the St. Louis Arch, the receptionist informed me I would have to go the St. Louis Old Courthouse to pick up my tickets, even though I had paid over the phone. My brother who came to St. Louis a month or so before assumed you just go to the arch. EHHH WRONG! You have to stop by here before you to proceed to the arch. When we entered the courthouse, there were multiple rooms we encountered. We finally found the room for the ticket pick up and ticket purchases for the arch. We arrived at the court house around 11:30am ish and there were multiple signs that noted they were sold out of tickets for the arch on that day but you could pre-​purchase for the following day. NOTE: if you are not going to buy your tickets in advance get there early! Thank GOD I called ahead and we were able to secure our tickets. I asked one of staff member in the room, if there was any way I could receive my tickets quicker or did I have to wait in the long line? The nice gentlemen told me I did not have to wait since I had already purchased my tickets and escorted me to the front. The lady who printed out my arch tickets gave me the run down of how to get to the arch and asked that we be located in the arch line 30 – 45 minutes before our tour time. After I received our tour tickets, my family and I had plenty of time to kill so we wondered around the court house for a bit. There were many interesting facts, exhibits, videos, and general information about slavery and the civil rights era and the Dred Scott case. We did not make it around the entire court house, but I really enjoyed all the information they presented on the Dred Scott case. The bathrooms were clean and standing in the middle of the court house looking at the top the dome was very cool. Also, be sure to check out the statue of Dred Scott and his wife located outside in the back of the court house.

I won’t rehash the history of this gorgeous building. (It’s far better looking than any of its 20^th century neighbors.) Just stand in the rotunda and look up in awe for a while. You’ll get blissfully dizzy, plus it’s good practice for when you visit the Arch just a few blocks away.

Neat little historical site for you to visit if you are exploring St. Louis. It is walking distance from the Gateway Arch. If you are at the top of the arch, this building is the green dome!
It has a beautiful dome decorated with historical figures. You can get a glimpse of the format of a courthouse and check out the history of the US obtaining the Louisiana Purchase.
Best of all? It’s free!

The building itself is beautiful but the experience is less than stellar. A national park site should not be allowing the homeless to loiter it’s halls no matter how cold it is outside as it does not make for a welcoming environment to tourists and guests. I feel for those who cannot help themselves but there are facilities to assist these people properly and this venue shouldn’t be it. I do not want to be walking around with potential crazies hanging around the stairwells and entrances/​exits, please find a way to fix this. Must everything the federales touch turn to crap?

It is a must go site when you visit the arch. Free and nice. Also found some interesting souvenirs in the gift shop here.

A historical landmark: summarized well on the brochures so I won’t go over that here. Old buildings are hit-​and-​miss for preservation and education, but this is a hit on all accounts: beautifully restored, excellent displays on St. Louis history (short and sweet), interesting history that concentrated some very key events in American history: this is a must-​see for any tourist and it is linked under the National Park Service with the National Westward Expansion museum which makes a lot of sense — the arch frames and honors this building in a genius symmetry. Fun to explore on your own and wander the twisty free-​standing steps to examine the original art.

This Building is stunning.
The simple Greek Revival exterior does not prepare you for the rotunda inside. You will spend a lot of time standing still and looking up.
Lots of St. Louis history exhibits as well as a fine gift shop. Park rangers do regularly scheduled tours of the buildings. Do not miss the spiral staircases, or the statue of Harriet and Dred Scott outside.

We ended up walking into the Old Courthouse by accident, but ended up staying a few hours. It’s a beautiful building inside and out, with a wealth of information about the history of the city — great for me as I knew none of it before venturing inside this building! Definitely worth a look when you’re passing through St Louis.

Historical place in the middle of the city. Free! Very informative.

Very col to check this out! The inside dome was spectacular. It’s free to go inside and it’s like a small museum. Lots of historical facts and interesting things to see, plus a gift shop. Very interesting and glad we found out about this place. We were looking to kill some time and this was the perfect place to do it. Loved it.

After I learned about the historical significance of this building, I had to tour the inside!
The day I was at the Taste of St. Louis, I walked to the courthouse.
Besides the court rooms there are exhibits on the history of St. Louis and the Dred Scott case, which is interesting! In addition, the trials of Virginia Minor were held here also before going to the Missouri and U.S. Supreme Courts.
I highly recommend visiting this historical landmark. I would tour it again!

When you are in St. Louis, you should visit this place just because, but you would probably enjoy it if you are a big history buff or if you love looking at the American Flag.
This courthouse is a relic; very old and historic. The rooms are filled with the history of the courthouse and Missouri/St.Louis in the forms of videos, pamphlets, etc.
Just to let you know, there is no A/​C so it will be hot during the summer time, especially on the higher floors. However, it is better to be in there than outside in the hot, humid air.
There are plaques and flags everywhere. To see the courthouse, it is free, which is a major plus. I’m not very big about government history so the place was okay for me, but I’m sure others will enjoy it.