SHIPS OF THE SEA MARITIME MUSEUM
WILLIAM SCARBROUGH HOUSE AND GARDENS
GROUP TOURS & EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS
Welcome to Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum!
I’m Caroline Berry, Education Director here at the museum, and I’m so glad you’re exploring all that we have to offer.
Housed in the historic Scarbrough House, our museum brings maritime history to life through engaging programs designed for both children and adults.
Whether you’re a teacher looking for a hands-on field trip, a history buff interested in Civil War naval innovation, or a family eager to learn together, our educational offerings invite you to discover the stories that shaped Savannah—and the seas beyond.
Come aboard and see how we make maritime history meaningful, memorable, and fun for learners of all ages!
What kind of program are you interested in?
Adult Group Tour
Children/Student Tour
Children/Student Programs
We offer curriculum-based programs that focus on key moments in maritime and American history, supported by artifacts, models, and storytelling. All programs can include guided tours and hands-on activities.
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Signals at Sea
Clash of the Ironclads
Ports of Call
Launching Liberty
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Signals at Sea
$11 per person
Students are introduced to the colorful and complex world of maritime communication before modern technology. Through hands-on exploration, students learn how sailors used signal flags to send messages across the sea.
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Learning the meanings of international maritime signal flags
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Decoding and creating flag messages
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Understanding how ships coordinated without radios or satellites
Clash of the Ironclads
$11 per person
Clash of the Ironclads brings the dramatic era of Civil War naval innovation to life through local history and hands-on discovery. Students explore the story of armored ships like the CSS Rattlesnake and the USS Montauk, both of which played pivotal roles near Fort McAllister and Richmond Hill. Using real artifacts from our collection as inspiration, participants dive into the science behind these ironclad vessels. In a hands-on STEM challenge, students design and test their own mini ironclads—crafted from aluminum foil—to see how many marbles their ships can carry before sinking. It’s a dynamic blend of history, engineering, and maritime strategy that highlights how innovation shaped the tides of war.
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Ports of Call
$11 per person
Ports of Call explores Savannah’s place in the vast network of global trade. Students learn how cargo ships connect continents by transporting goods, people, and ideas across the seas. Through interactive maps and object-based learning, participants trace shipping routes, identify common imports and exports, and discover how Savannah’s port has shaped the region’s economy for centuries. Hands-on activities challenge students to think like merchants and maritime strategists as they plan shipping journeys and balance cargo, giving them a deeper understanding of how ports function—and why they matter.
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Launching Liberty
$11 per person
Launching Liberty takes students on a journey through Savannah's pivotal role in WWII shipbuilding. As part of the U.S. war effort, Liberty Ships were constructed right here in local shipyards, helping to turn the tide of the war. Students explore the significance of these vessels as they learned how they were built, their vital role in transporting goods and troops across the ocean, and how Savannah’s community rallied to support the war effort. Through hands-on activities, students will understand the engineering behind these ships and even participate in a design challenge to create their own ships—mirroring the ingenuity that helped fuel victory during the war.
Adult/Group Tours
Our guided tours offer a closer look at the captivating stories behind Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum. From architectural treasures and maritime warfare to tragic shipwrecks and hidden gardens, each experience reveals layers of history often left untold. With rich storytelling and meaningful insight, these tours bring the past to life in unexpected and memorable ways.
Echoes Through Time
Cannon, Courage and Conflict
Titanic and Beyond
Savannah's Secret Garden
Curator-Led Tour
With Tania Sammons
Director-Led Tour
With Molly Carrott Taylor
Echoes Through Time:
The Scarbrough House
$21 per person
Discover the layered history of this 1819 mansion—built for a shipping mogul, transformed into a school for Black children after the Civil War, abandoned for decades, and ultimately restored as a museum. This tour reveals how one house reflects Savannah’s changing story through wealth, education, and resilience.
Cannon, Courage, and Conflict: Maritime Warfare
$21 per person
From wooden frigates to ironclads and submarines, this tour charts the evolution of naval combat from the Revolutionary War to World War II. Explore Savannah’s wartime ties, heroic missions like that of Edward J. True, and the ships that changed the face of battle at sea.
Titanic and Beyond: Maritime Disasters
$21 per person
Explore the haunting stories of ships lost at sea—from the Titanic to Savannah’s own SS Pulaski. This tour dives into the causes and consequences of maritime disasters, revealing how tragedy, heroism, and innovation have shaped the history of seafaring.
Savannah's Secret Garden:
Nature & Nostalgia
$21 per person
Step into Savannah’s largest private garden and uncover the stories rooted in its soil. From 19th-century design to the everyday uses of native plants, this serene tour blends history, horticulture, and the quiet magic of a hidden oasis.
