St. Louis- Downtown/ The Old Courthouse/ The Arch

A visit to St. Louis MUST include at least a drive through downtown. St. Louis is the oldest city west of the Mississippi River and was a major trade city. Many historic buildings still stand even thought the businesses inside may be very different than the original. There are way too many buildings to list however they include Union (train) Station, The Kiel Oprah House, The Federal Reserve, historic hotels, multiple world headquarters of major corporations, and buildings along Laclede’s Landing. 

After driving around downtown, I highly suggest parking and visiting The Old Courthouse and the Arch. Both are national landmarks operated by the Nation Park service. 

The Old Courthouse was the location of the Dred Scott case. Inside there are exhibits that include a review of the Scott case and several historically slanted accounts of the history of Missouri and St. Louis.

The Courthouse is NOT very accessible. There is no parking directly outside of even relatively nearby. I honestly do not remember ramps outside. They may be there but if they weren’t prominent, we all know it’s a case of “accessibility” with an asterisks. Inside the courthouse, several of the rooms have two or three steps- not accessible. The doorways are awe-inspiringly  tall but also narrow. I can see some chairs having difficulty in some rooms even if you can get in. There are stairs leading up to the dome but no elevator so that view is restrictive. The stairs themselves are windy making it difficult for people with many disabilities to climb- I din’t even try.

The arch is across the street. There is a long, bumpy pathway to the Arch museum. Before entering the museum, you can continue on the path, up an incline to actually touch and take pictures with the legs of the Arch. If you choose to do that, I also suggest continuing past the Arch to see the view out to the Mississippi river before going back to the museum.

The museum is free but it isn’t cheap to go to the top of the Arch. If you have never been, the view is amazing. I don’t recommend going up to anyone who is afraid of heights or claustrophobic. I also don’t know how easy it is for someone in a wheelchair to go up.

The rest of the museum is accessible. It includes several exhibits about the conceptualization of the Arch, history of St. Louis, Missouri and the Louisiana Purchase. There are many commonly accepted historical statements that many will find ahistorical but the maps and models are a must-see for history enthusiasts.

Accessibility- The key point of both of these places is that they are not ideal for disabled history buffs but they are worth trying to navigate sites. Frankly, the Arch grounds were recently renovated so there is no reason why disabled people weren’t considered. The arch itself and the Old Courthouse were designed long before anyone considered disabled people. Basically, be prepared to exert yourself, be frustrated and improvised when visiting both sites.