It is a new day for an old and historic courthouse.
After an extensive renovation, the Old Courthouse, site of the landmark legal cases of Dred Scott, his wife Harriett and other enslaved people, reopened to the public on Saturday May 3, 2025 to celebrate the grand reopening of the Old Courthouse located downtown.
“In honoring this courthouse, we are not just preserving a building, we are honoring the memory of those who transformed it into a battleground for freedom and those who had the courage it took to get to this place,” said keynote speaker Twinette Johnson, St. Louis University School of Law dean.
Following her remarks, a ribbon was cut by Lynne Jackson, the great-great-granddaughter of Dred and Harriet Scott. Joining her were Johnson, Jeremy Sweat, Gateway Arch National Park superintendent Sweat, Congressman Wesley Bell, Mayor Cara Spencer and other community leaders.
“This building is a symbol of our nation’s long struggle for freedom, equality and liberty,” said Sweat.
“This project is too big to fail. It’s too big to fail for people of St Louis. [It is] also a symbol of hope here in downtown St Louis, as our community all around us works to build a brighter future for the city we all love, and we are proud to be here at the heart of that vision.”
The Old Courthouse was built between 1839 and 1862. The Scotts fought for their freedom within its courtrooms, landing victories before the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that slaves were property and had no right to sue. More than 30 freedom suits were heard in the courthouse.
Virginia Minor also fought for her, and other women’s, right to vote in The Old Courthouse, which is also a site on the National Park Service’s National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom.
The historic building was renovated following the allocation of over $2.5 million in grant funding and $6 million that was used for the construction and the new exhibits.
“The National Park Service are the keepers of the places and memories that make our nation great. We are also the keepers of our nation’s sites of conscience, places where we fell short of the promise of liberty and justice for all,” Sweat said.
President Trump’s budget proposal would reduce the National Parks budget by nearly 25% and hand over many of those to the states. It suggests cutting more than $1.2 billion from the $4.8 billion park service budget.
Theresa Pierno, National Parks Conservation Association president and CEO called the budget proposal “an all-out assault on America’s national parks.”
“The president’s proposed budget plan is beyond extreme. It is catastrophic. If enacted by Congress, our national park system would be completely decimated.”
The list of National Parks impacted could be released in the next 30 days.
The Old Courthouse will also serve as a museum and education center with interactive exhibits designed to bring more understanding to the public of the courthouse’s legacy and engage a new generation.
“Design for Justice” explores the building’s architecture and craftsmanship. “See You in Court” guides visitors through the judicial process using mock trials and immersive educational experiences.
“Pathways to Freedom” traces Black life in St. Louis, culminating in the powerful story of Dred and Harriet Scott.
Johnson said she looks forward to the exhibits educating generations of students and St. Louisans. She said the renovations and the building symbolize a path to change, to justice.
“These stories, the remarkable bravery of Dred Harriet Scott and the many men and women who filed freedom suits here at this courthouse remind us that the journey, that the journey to justice, is not always linear,” she said.
“It can be a winding road filled with great foods and heartbreak, and in this journey for justice here in St Louis, each generation pushes forward with the hope that progress, however slow, is still possible.”