Visit the Real Town Where Jaws Was Filmed

Where was Jaws filmed? In the spring of 1974, as America was still reeling from the Watergate scandal and Universal Pictures' Jaws topped the bestseller list, a then 27-year-old Steven Spielberg was hired to bring the terrifying film Jaws to the big screen, alongside a star-studded cast including Roy Scheider and Robert Shaw.

Determined to shoot in the open Atlantic Ocean rather than a studio tank, Spielberg chose Martha’s Vineyard—a charming beach town off Cape Cod—to double as the fictional town of Amity Island, the seemingly idyllic setting shattered by a series of shark attacks. With its sandy bottom and shallow seabed, it was ideal for Spielberg’s 7.6-metre mechanical shark. Yet filming on Edgartown South Beach, on the East Coast of the USA, proved anything but smooth for the Production Designer and the rest of the crew.

The mechanical great white shark—nicknamed Bruce after Steven Spielberg’s lawyer—frequently sank, malfunctioned, and extended the shoot to 159 days—nearly triple the planned schedule. But for locals, having Jaws filmed on their beloved Amity Island brought a welcome boost. As much of the country battled economic hardship, Martha’s Vineyard residents found jobs as extras and helped with accommodation, catering, and transport, helping to bring Jaws, one of Hollywood’s most legendary productions by Universal Pictures to life.

In the wake of Jaws being filmed, a wave of prosperity swept across Martha’s Vineyard. Many struggling businesses, like The Kelley House Hotel—where crew and actors like Robert Shaw stayed—were revived almost overnight while Jaws filmed. Not since the golden age of whaling in the mid-19th century had this beach town seen such transformation.

When Jaws hit cinemas in June 1975, it became “the film that emptied beaches and filled cinemas,” and I returned four decades later to explore the real-life Amity Island from the film—starting in Edgartown South Beach, which served as a picture-perfect stand-in for Spielberg’s fictional town.

I checked into the charming Hob Knob Inn, a short walk from the harbour and an ideal base for exploring. As I strolled down Main Street, flanked by cherry blossoms and clapboard buildings, I passed by the site of the Amity Hardware Store—a familiar building for any fan of the Universal Pictures film inspired by Peter Benchley’s novel. With every step, I felt more immersed in the world of Chief Brody and Matt Hooper, played by Richard Dreyfuss in the movie.

To delve deeper into the locations where Jaws filmed, I joined a brilliant Jaws tour run by cinephile Mike Currid of the Edgartown Tour Company in Martha's Vineyard. Outside the real Amity Town Hall, Mike pulled up the unforgettable scene of Quint scraping his nails down the blackboard—a moment filmed in the very room before us. A quiet house around the corner? That was the Amity Police Station, revealed in a shot where Brody exits and walks into the beach town.

The tour took us across the American Legion Memorial Bridge (better known as the Jaws Bridge) and to Edgartown South Beach, where key scenes were filmed in the shallow beaches to avoid any real sharks. One of the most gripping scenes took place near Sengekontacket Pond, where the shark famously enters the estuary while young children are swimming in the ocean nearby. This calm, picturesque spot—now a favorite swimming area—became the heart-stopping setting for one of the film’s most suspenseful moments, further cementing the Jaws effect in Martha's Vineyard.

It’s surreal how these spots where the crew of Jaws filmed remain so unchanged. With the breeze rolling in and the Amity Gazette headlines playing in my memory, I was transported back to that 1970s summer when a great white shark terrorized audiences and captivated the world.

Afterwards, I wandered the stately streets of Edgartown, past homemade ice-cream parlours, quaint galleries, and even the historic house of Captain Valentine Pease—Melville’s inspiration for Ahab. It’s easy to see why Martha’s Vineyard was chosen as the perfect cinematic double for Amity Island. Strict local zoning laws have preserved the area’s timeless charm after the film's release.

Past the Chappaquiddick Ferry, I arrived at the dock where Chief Brody gets slapped by the grieving mother of a young shark victim—a scene that still hits hard. From there, I followed the trail to the town’s lighthouse. With its denim-blue skies, bottle-green sea, and weathered grey houses, the view felt like an Edward Hopper painting brought to life.

At sunset, I made my way down Beach Road and over the bridge where the shark ominously swims into the pond. This led me to Oak Bluffs, known to all Jaws buffs as the location of the Brody family’s home near East Chop Lighthouse. With its boardwalks and lively bars, Oak Bluffs feels more playful than Edgartown—a classic seaside town with layers of cinematic production history.

The crowning structure here is the Wesley Hotel, whose eerie, Psycho-esque presence overlooks the water. Nearby, Martha’s Vineyard Chowder Company serves up perhaps the Cape’s best clam chowder and oysters that dance a salty tango across your tongue. Opposite sits the oldest carousel in America, spinning defiantly as if ignoring Mayor Vaughn’s calls to keep the beaches open.

That evening, I dined at The Black Dog Tavern, perched at the harbour in Vineyard Haven. Amid the storm lanterns and nautical decor, my waiter shared a hot tip: “You remember the Orca—the boat? It’s up in Menemsha.” That name hit me like a bell. “That’s where Quint’s workshop was filmed!” I exclaimed.

Menemsha—a name as evocative as Ishmael or Ahab—was my next stop. I paused at Katama Beach, a long sweep of white sand and the filming location for the haunting campfire scene from the movie’s pre-credits sequence. It’s here that a boy follows a young woman into the dunes, and she swims into the Atlantic Ocean for what becomes her final dip—turning swimming, once a favorite pastime, into something terrifying.

Heading west, I passed horse-filled fields, rustic barns, and indie general stores. Known as “Up Island” (despite being to the west), this part of Martha’s Vineyard is rich in Wampanoag heritage and beloved by celebrities like James Taylor and Billy Joel seeking a quieter life.

Finally, I reached the multicoloured cliffs of Aquinnah, where the Gay Head Lighthouse watches over the western edge of the island. This was the setting for the billboard scene in Jaws, with the infamous image of a girl on a lilo being stalked by a shark—an image that burned itself into cinema history that I got to stand in.

Just five minutes across the bay, in the rustic fishing village of Menemsha, I found the remains of Quint’s workshop. The docks were lined with lobster pots, salt-blasted fishermen, and grey-shingled cottages. Across the estuary? The sorrowful ruins of The Orca. Once the proud vessel that carried Brody, Quint, and Hooper into shark-infested waters, the boat had slowly been picked apart by movie fans—now only its skeletal frame remains, a ghostly tribute to one of cinema’s greatest adventures.

Standing there, absurdly emotional for a boat I never sailed on, I realized the true magic of Jaws. Spielberg didn’t just film a shark movie—he gave us a story so visceral, so human, that we all feel like we’ve been on that boat, in that town, facing that fear.

Ready to experience the magic (and menace) of Jaws for yourself and visit locations like the famous shark-attack beaches or Amity Hardware Store? Visit your local Flight Centre or call 131 600 for expert advice and the latest deals on travelling to Martha’s Vineyard—because your own shark-free escape to Amity Island is only a flight away.