Ship's of the Sea Museum

Discover the rich nautical history of Savannah at the Ship’s of the Sea Museum . Since 1997, The Ship's of the Sea has been located in one of Savannah's most historic homes -- The William Scarbrough House on Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. And with its focus on ships, its unique among Savannah attractions and landmarks. 

The star of Ship's of the Sea Museum is the impressive model ship collection including The City of Savannah, The Anne, The Steamship Savannah, The Wanderer, and The Titanic. All of these ships (except The Titanic) have a direct connection to Savannah and the Georgia coast. A voyage to Ship's of the Sea will put you on course into the past to imagine the awe of sailing on these ships in an era long since past. 

Your trip to this intriguing Savannah museum will be enhanced if you read about the ship's in the models collection before visiting. Reading and history go hand-in-hand, so here's a list of the ship models on display. Each has their own story to tell. 

The Model Ships

The City of Savannah was a 245 ft. long iron hull hybrid ship that utilized both sails and steam propulsion. Built in 1877, this ship made many runs up and down the eastern seaboard between Savannah, Boston and New York as both a passenger and freight ship. Her sailing life was only 16 years and she was lost in the waters off South Carolina during a hurricane in 1893. 

The Anne has a special place in Savannah history. It was the British Galley ship that brought the English settlers who would establish the town of Savannah and later the colony of Georgia. However, The Anne did not sail directly up the Savannah River. Originally she sailed from England to Charleston and then to present-day Beaufort, S.C. Smaller boats would transport the colonists from Beaufort to the banks of the Savannah River. 

The Steamship Savannah made one of the most consequential journeys in all of maritime history — the first vessel to cross the Atlantic Ocean with steam engines. She was inspected in Savannah by President James Monroe shortly before she embarked on her 10,000 mile odyssey. The SS Savannah successfully completed her trek and will forever be celebrated even though sailing years were cut short. Just four years after crossing the ocean, she caught fire and sank while off the coast of New York. 

The Wanderer was one of the fastest ships of her era. Originally built as a pleasure cruiser, the ship was retrofitted to carry cargo and transported hundreds of slaves from Africa to the Georgia Coast in 1859. 

The most famous model ship on display at Ship’s of the Sea Museum is The Titanic. Almost everyone knows the fate of the unsinkable ship which crashed into an iceberg on her maiden voyage from England to the United States and sank. Now you’ll enjoy an up close and personal view of a Titanic model. 

The Outdoor Gardens

After you experience the model ship's collection, spend time enjoying the outdoor gardens at The William Scarbrough House. They are billed as the largest in the Savannah Historic District and feature camellias, azaleas, magnolias and seasonal perennial plantings. Many visitors to the Ships of the Sea Musuem love to spend time just sitting in the garden after their inside tour. 

The Ship's of the Sea is located at 41 Martin Luther King Blvd. in Savannah.