Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum
The Scarbrough House was built in 1819 for William Scarbrough, one of the merchants behind the SS Savannah, the first steamship to cross the Atlantic.
Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum is a garden destination wedding venue in Savannah, United States, hosting up to 250 guests (Aisle estimate), where a wedding for 80 guests costs about US$26,000 (our estimate), reached from Savannah/Hilton Head International (SAV), ~20 minutes by car.
About Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum
The Scarbrough House was built in 1819 for William Scarbrough, one of the merchants behind the SS Savannah, the first steamship to cross the Atlantic.
It is Greek Revival, it is white, and behind it are two acres of walled garden in the middle of Savannah’s Historic District, which is what couples actually book.
One rental takes the whole site: the Scarbrough Garden, the pergola and the maple grove, the North Garden Assembly Room, and the museum galleries after public hours by arrangement.
The Assembly Room seats 250 for dinner and dancing, so ceremonies happen outside under the trees and everyone moves indoors when the plates come out.
Ask about your month
Your month, guest count and budget go with it.
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Capacity, rooms and facilities
Money
- A wedding for 80 guests
- About US$26,000, rooms extraAisle estimate
- Price
- US$6,500 to US$8,500 venue feeAisle estimate
Getting there
- Nearest airport
- SAV, 20 min by carAisle estimate
- Parking
- Yes
- Step-free access
- Yes
The spaces
- Setting
- Countryside, historic, elegantAisle estimate
Venue highlights
- The 1819 Scarbrough House, Greek Revival, in the Historic District
- Two acres of walled garden, pergola and maple grove
- North Garden Assembly Room seats 250 for dinner and dancing
- One flat rental fee, whatever the season or the day
A sample wedding weekend
See the day-by-day outline+
Use this as a starting point and adapt it to your bookings and guests.
- 19:00Welcome dinner at a restaurant on Broughton Street, ten minutes on foot
- 11:00Guests walk the squares, Forsyth Park and the riverfront
- 17:30Ceremony under the pergola in the maple grove
- 18:15Drinks in the Scarbrough Garden, museum galleries open
- 19:30Dinner and dancing in the North Garden Assembly Room
- 11:00Farewell brunch in the district before flights from Savannah
Costs and booking details
- Getting there
- SAV · about 20 min by carAisle estimate
Guests fly into Savannah/Hilton Head International.
Questions about the venue
How many guests can Ships of the Sea hold?+
The North Garden Assembly Room seats 250 for dinner and dancing, and the gardens hold more for a standing reception. Ceremonies usually happen outside in the Scarbrough Garden or under the pergola in the maple grove.
What does a wedding here cost?+
The museum charges one flat fee whatever the season and whatever the day of the week, with weddings reported from around $14,300 for 50 guests. Catering, drinks, rentals and music are all extra and are yours to bring in.
What does the rental include?+
Exclusive use of the full site for the evening: the Scarbrough Garden, the pergola and maple grove, the North Garden Assembly Room, the car park, and the museum galleries after public hours if you arrange it in advance.
Do we need our own caterer?+
Yes. The museum has no kitchen of its own, so you appoint a Savannah caterer and they work from the service areas on site. That is more work than a hotel and it is also why the food at weddings here is often better.
Where do guests stay?+
In the Historic District, which starts at the museum gate. Hotels on Bay, Bryan and Broughton Street are a five to fifteen minute walk, so guests can leave their cars where they land and never move them again.
When is the best time of year to marry in Savannah?+
March to May, when the azaleas are out and the evenings are warm without being heavy, and October to November. Summer is hot and humid with afternoon storms, and the garden has shade but no air conditioning.
Could this be your venue?
Ask about pricing and availability for the month you have in mind. You do not need a fixed date.
Still deciding? Elena is Aisle’s AI wedding planner. Give her a month and a guest count and she will forecast the budget, work out how your guests would travel, and put a first plan on paper. No account needed.
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Ask about dates at Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum.
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Sources and booking notes
Confirm your dates, guest numbers, room arrangements and inclusions with the venue before booking. An enquiry does not reserve a date. Figures labelled Aisle estimate are modelled from regional rates and public sources; they are not venue quotes.
Sources for individual venue facts
Parking: Yes
“We have a parking lot conveniently located at the garden entrance on MLK Jr. Blvd and Orange Street.”
Read the source for parkingStep-free access: Yes
“The Museum and gardens are designed to be as accessible as possible.”
Read the source for step-free access