Thebes Historical Courthouse, Illinois, United States

4Shapley_Hunter 5:00 PM Jul 4, 2017

Beautiful river view. Historical building, needs repairs.
The courthouse is a familiar landmark to those who have traveled the river past Thebes. The old Greek-Revival building stands on a high bluff looking over the Mississippi River and the railroad bridge at Thebes. We visited while showing a visitor from out of town about the area. They have recently added a new sidewalk and some other much-needed repairs. The tour covers two levels - the courthouse level, which consists of two rooms - the courtroom itself and a smaller room behind the bench which I assume was the judge's chambers. Both rooms are filled with artifacts concerning the history of Thebes, with a heavy emphasis on the railroad bridge and its construction. The bridge, which is the only railroad bridge across the Mississippi between St. Louis and Memphis, replaced the cumbersome old railroad ferry between Cairo, Illinois and Bird's Point, Missouri, which had operated for some years prior to the bridge's completion. The lower level consists of the old jail cells. Legend has it that Dred Scott was imprisoned there for a night during at the time of his bid for freedom. There is a balcony facing the river which affords an excellent view of the river, though parts of it are closed while awaiting repair. The lower level terrace, which is accessed by an outside stair provides access to the jail cells, is not wheelchair accessible. The courtroom and the upper terrace can be accessed by wheelchair, though there is a single low step to the front door which must be overcome. There are no restroom facilities at this location, with the exception of a portable outhouse located nearby.

5jayjay0611 5:00 PM Jun 3, 2019

A step back in history
If you’re driving through Thebes, you have to stop at the historical courthouse! It is a little piece of history tucked away. Walking through the doors is like walking into a part of history we only hear about. There have been many restorations done recently, and the view of the Mighty Mississippi makes for a beautiful background for all your pictures. It is only open on the weekends for tours, so we were lucky to stop on a day it was open. Even if you can’t get in it, just walking around is worth the stop!