3 Best Landmarks in St Louis, MO

The Old Courthouse is an impressive and beautifully restored historic site that’s definitely worth a visit. Recently reopened after an extensive renovation, it now features updated exhibits thoughtfully curated by the National Park Service. The displays do a great job highlighting the courthouse’s role in American history, especially the landmark Dred Scott case. In addition to the powerful history, the building itself is stunning. The architectural details are remarkable, and the richly decorated dome is truly a sight to behold. Whether you're a history buff or just exploring downtown St. Louis, the Old Courthouse is a must-see stop that adds depth and meaning to any visit.

Recently reopened, the Old Courthouse is a possibly overlooked but still vital stop (assuming you have the time) when visiting Gateway Arch National Park. The park rangers are knowledgeable and friendly, the building is beautiful (and well lit!), with painting and internal architecture that you could spend hours looking at, and knowing the history of cases tried in this building (Dred Scott, for one) is certainly a bonus. Also, the social justice library of books for sale is fantastic.

The new renovations make this a great museum to visit! It will be even better when they add the flag back.

I was so lucky to have a private tour on Nov 2 when the museum was actually closed because I called ahead. I learned so much about Scott Joplin and his times from the tour guide. It was great to learn that the royalties he earned from the sales of the Maple Leaf Rag enabled him to compose and teach during the day rather than have to play at the bars. It was interesting to learn that he taught piano and composed in the communal room on the second floor. He didn't have a private practice room. I enjoyed learning to play ragtime music as a teen so it was very exciting to learn about this period of his life when he lived in the house. It was great to get an overview of his whole life as well. From his bedroom you can now see the Gateway Arch. So having been there first, it was a fun perspective to see it from Scott Joplin's his window.

We really enjoyed our little tour here. We got to learn a lot about Scott Joplin and what St. Louis at that time was like, as well as what life as an itinerant musician was like. The staff are very friendly and knowledgeable, and I loved getting to listen to an old player piano and finally find out how they work. They do tours on the hour every hour, so if the website that lets you make reservations only shows tours in the afternoon, call and they’ll add you to a morning tour if you want.

What a cool little museum! We got a tour from Nina who really knew a lot about Scott Joplin, the era & the area. We were extra lucky that their resident musician Royce was in town and played Mapleleaf Rag for us! It’s so cool that this amazing piece of St Louis history has been preserved for everyone to experience.