Saint Louis Old Courthouse

Dred and Harriet Scott began their legal struggle for freedom at this courthouse. The Supreme Court’s 1857 decision held that Black people of African descent, enslaved or free, were not US citizens under the Constitution and that Congress could not prohibit sl

After thirty years, the construction of the courthouse ended in 1862. It served as the City's courthouse until the 1930s and became a part of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial. With a magnificent Italian-Renaissance style iron dome, Greek Revival columns, balconies, and murals telling the history of St. Louis – it is an imposing building.

Dred and Harriet Scott began their legal struggle for freedom at this courthouse. The Supreme Court’s 1857 decision held that Black people of African descent, enslaved or free, were not US citizens under the Constitution and that Congress could not prohibit slavery in federal territories. It intensified the conflict over slavery, but was not the sole cause of the Civil War.

The impressive building we visited in 2018 reopened in May 2025 following renovation, with four new galleries and improved accessibility. Check the current exhibitions.

The entrance is free.

To the Old Courthouse Website