Information
Landmark: Ships of the Sea Maritime MuseumCity: Savannah
Country: USA Georgia
Continent: North America
Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum, Savannah, USA Georgia, North America
Overview
The Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum, tucked into the heart of Savannah, Georgia, is a celebrated cultural landmark, devoted to sharing and safeguarding the city’s deep maritime history-from merchant vessels to weathered captain’s logs.You'll find it inside the historic William Scarbrough House at 41 Martin Luther King Jr.Boulevard, right in the heart of Savannah’s Historic District, where brick sidewalks still echo with the sound of passing carriages.Built in 1819, the William Scarbrough House stands as a rare gem of Greek Revival design-one of the earliest and most elegant in the South, with tall white columns catching the morning light.The house takes its name from William Scarbrough, a leading Savannah merchant who commanded bustling docks and thriving shipping ventures.He was a principal owner of the SS Savannah, the first steamship to cross the Atlantic in 1819, its paddle wheels churning through salt spray and marking a bold leap in maritime innovation.Since 1966, the Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum has brought Savannah’s rich maritime past to life, highlighting its role in trade, shipbuilding, and naval history from the late 1700s to the early 1900s, with models so detailed you can almost smell the salt air.The place serves as a lively hub for maritime education and heritage, drawing in scholars, curious tourists, and locals who still remember the smell of salt on the docks.The William Scarbrough House, designed by William Jay, stands as a masterpiece that brought elegant classical touches-smooth columns and balanced proportions-into the heart of Savannah’s homes.The house showcases hallmark elements of Greek Revival architecture, a style that swept America in the early 1800s and reflected democratic ideals with its bold columns and echoes of ancient Greece.The house rises two stories, its stuccoed brick walls balanced in perfect symmetry, topped with a heavy cornice and framed by bold, distinctive pilasters.Elegant windows with delicate moldings line the façade, and a bold entryway stands between tall, fluted columns.Step inside and you’ll find airy rooms with lofty ceilings, ornate plaster trim, and warm, untouched woodwork-each piece echoing the elegance and skilled craftsmanship of its time.Sunlight spills across the room, where every detail is arranged for balance and harmony, echoing the elegance of Greek Revival style.The museum has tended to every beam and brick, restoring the building with care so its early 19th‑century Southern grandeur still greets visitors in full, authentic detail.The museum’s permanent collection holds more than 300 artifacts from across maritime history, from salt-stained model ships to vivid seascape paintings and centuries-old logbooks.These pieces capture Savannah’s seafaring past-from Atlantic trade and naval battles to the lives shaped by its bustling docks and salt-tinged harbor air.The museum proudly displays one of the Southeast’s largest collections of ship models, each crafted with astonishing detail-right down to the tiny ropes and weathered decks.You’ll find everything from small wooden sailing boats to powerful steamships and legendary ocean liners, each one capturing a chapter in the story of how ships have evolved in design and technology.One standout is the SS Savannah, a finely crafted scale model of the first steamship to cross the Atlantic, honoring Savannah’s bold step into steam-powered navigation.RMS Titanic: A finely detailed replica of the famed ocean liner, complete with gleaming brass railings, that reveals the elegance and engineering of early 20th‑century sea voyages.In the Historical Exhibits, several galleries spotlight key maritime events and themes.One, The Wanderer, traces the story of the last known slave ship to reach U. S. shores in 1858, its dark legacy marked by the creak of timbers and the weight of a tragic chapter in American and seafaring history.Civil War Naval History comes alive through worn artifacts, detailed maps, and vivid stories that reveal Savannah’s naval battles and daring blockade runs during the American Civil War.Atlantic Trade and Commerce: Step inside displays that bring Savannah’s busy port to life, from the creak of ship timbers to the flow of goods in the transatlantic trade-commodities, shipbuilding, and all the bustle of maritime commerce.Maritime Art and Memorabilia: The museum showcases paintings and prints alongside brass compasses, worn ship’s gear, and keepsakes once carried by sailors and merchants, bringing their stories to life through vivid sights and tangible relics.Educational Outreach and Online Exhibits: The museum offers virtual tours and rich online resources, opening its ship-filled galleries to anyone with an internet connection and sharing maritime history with a far broader audience.The William Scarbrough House is wrapped in about two acres of carefully tended historic gardens-the largest privately owned green space in Savannah’s Historic District, where boxwoods line quiet brick paths.The gardens echo the charm of a 19th-century parlor, with crisp formal paths, neat geometric flower beds, and ornamental plantings that frame the house’s graceful lines like a painted border.You’ll find a shimmering reflecting pool, a pergola draped in bright seasonal blooms, and benches tucked beneath the scent of flowers and the shade of tall, old trees.The landscaping creates a peaceful spot where you can pause and think, with the scent of pine in the air, and deepens the visitor’s experience by blending nature and history.The gardens showcase plants true to the period, tended with care to mirror the era’s botanical tastes and gardening methods-rose bushes heavy with blooms nod to the time the house first stood.At the Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum, visitors step into a thoughtfully crafted world that brings Savannah’s maritime past to life-hear the creak of wooden decks, see sails unfurl-and leave with a richer understanding of its history.Friendly, well-informed docents lead you through the museum, pointing out the curve of a stone arch, the stories behind rare artifacts, and the rich history woven into the site.Most tours take you through the house and out into the gardens, where the scent of roses drifts on the air.Rotating special exhibitions add to the permanent collection, highlighting contemporary maritime themes, sharing local seafaring tales, or teaming up with other cultural institutions-sometimes with displays as vivid as a weathered ship’s wheel.The museum packs the year with events, from family-friendly fun to hands-on learning.One highlight is *Set Sail for Adventure*, a National Maritime Day celebration filled with interactive exhibits, colorful crafts, and lively educational programs.The lineup also features lectures, art installations, and fundraisers like Supper at Sea, where guests savor fresh coastal dishes while surrounded by the scent of salt and the stories of maritime heritage.Accessibility and Facilities: The museum welcomes visitors Tuesday through Sunday and offers features like ramps and wide doorways to make sure everyone can enjoy it.You’ll find amenities like gift shops stocked with nautical trinkets and shelves of educational books.The Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum stands at the heart of Savannah’s heritage, keeping the city’s stories alive and sharing its maritime past, from weathered ship models to tales of bustling port days.
