Visitors to the Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum are treated to a remarkable visual history of Savannah’s maritime industry. But intricate ship models, paintings and maritime antiques aren’t the only reason to visit the museum, which is located in the historic Scarborough House. The museum recently opened its North Garden, a lovely outdoor space that features a citrus grove, naturalistic garden, reflecting pool and more.

A lush path at the Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum leads to the new North Garden. — Photo courtesy of Amy Pine

The Scarborough House, an 1819 mansion that was built for one of the principal owners of the first steamship to cross the Atlantic Ocean, already boasted the Historic District’s largest garden, a lush space bursting with varieties of camellias, azaleas, magnolias and other native plants. The garden’s expansion more than doubled the size of the outdoor space, giving the public a large, quiet area for relaxation and reflection.

Among the standout features of the new garden are a maple grove with two dozen trees, a vine-covered pergola and a long, L-shaped reflecting pool with a brick island. Though visitors do not need to purchase a ticket to the Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum to access the garden (the museum’s garden is free and open to the public seven days a week), they shouldn’t pass up the opportunity to learn about Savannah’s fascinating maritime history and enjoy the treasures inside the Scarborough House.