Facts

📍 State: Missouri / City: St. Louis

🗓️ Year Built: 1839

🧑‍🎨 Architect: Henry Singleton

🏛️ Architectural Style: Greek Revival Architecture with Italian-Renaissance influence

💎 Unique Details: The courthouse has a cruciform layout with four interior courtyards and a striking central rotunda. In 1861, its original cupola was replaced with the first cast and wrought iron dome in the U.S., modeled after St. Peter’s Basilica. Inside, four lunettes display murals of key moments in St. Louis history. A unique self-supporting spiral staircase, installed in 1854, winds upward without a central support.

Why See It?

Some of the most pivotal court cases in American history were heard inside its courtrooms. It is where Dred and Harriet Scott sued for freedom, Virginia Minor fought for her right as a woman to vote, and more than 300 enslaved African Americans filed suit for their freedom. [Source: archpark.org]

Nearby Highlights

Gateway Arch National Park – The Old Courthouse is located within the national park. The park also features the Museum at the Gateway Arch, with immersive exhibits on westward expansion, Native American history, and the building of the Arch. The park grounds offer scenic riverfront views, walking trails, and tram rides to the top of the 630-foot Arch for panoramic views of St. Louis.

Stunning view of the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri, showcasing its impressive stainless steel structure against a partly cloudy sky. A popular landmark and symbol of American westward expansion.
Stunning view of the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri, showcasing its impressive stainless steel structure against a partly cloudy sky. A popular landmark and symbol of American westward expansion.
Gateway Arch with downtown St. Louis in background

Photo Gallery

Aerial view of Nashville, Tennessee skyline with Capitol Hill and surrounding downtown buildings, showcasing cityscape, modern architecture, and vibrant urban environment. Perfect for travel and city exploration content.
View from the top of Gateway Arch
Historic Capitol Building at Gateway Arch National Park in St. Louis, Missouri featuring neoclassical architecture, white columns, green dome, and surrounding modern skyscrapers.
Front view of the historic Old Courthouse
St. Louis downtown skyline featuring the Gateway Arch, courthouse domes, and surrounding modern skyscrapers, with outdoor seating and urban park area, showcasing cityscape photography of iconic Missouri landmarks.
Downtown St. Louis with the Old Courthouse and Gateway Arch
Bronze statue of a man and woman holding hands outside a historic government building, symbolizing unity and history. Perfect for exploring American history, public art, and cultural landmarks.
Dred and Harriet Scott Statuę in front of Old Courthouse
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