Old Courthouse

About

Please note: The Old Courthouse as well as tram rides to the top of the Gateway Arch, the Museum at the Gateway Arch, the Monument to the Dream documentary and the virtual-reality experience at the Gateway Arch are temporarily closed amid the federal government shutdown beginning Oct. 1, 2025. Nearby experiences including the Riverboats at the Gateway Arch and Gateway Helicopter Tours will continue to operate as they are not part of the National Park Service. One of the most important historic sites in the U.S., the Old Courthouse reopened on May 3, 2025, after a two-year, multimillion-dollar renovation focused on increased accessibility, structural improvements and new exhibitory. Topped by an Italian Renaissance-style, wrought-iron dome, the Old Courthouse was built between 1839 and 1862, and it heard more than 300 freedom suits, including the pivotal Dred and Harriet Scott cases, before the American Civil War. It’s also where Virginia Minor sued for her right to vote in Missouri in 1872 – the same year that Susan B. Anthony was arrested for trying to vote. At the Old Courthouse, you can stand where history happened. The new galleries allow visitors to dive deeper into stories of the past, and upcoming exhibits will spotlight the building’s architecture, craftsmanship and artistry and explain the importance of courts in our society.