Jaws poster ⭐ 8.1 🕑 2h 4m

Jaws Filming Locations

1975 Movie
Adventure Horror Thriller

When a massive killer shark unleashes chaos on a beach community off Long Island, it's up to the local police chief, a marine biologist, and an old seafarer to hunt the beast down.

Filming Locations Map 26 locations

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William Penn Highway, Water Street, Morris Township, Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania, 16611, United States of America
21, Cahoon Court, Falmouth, Barnstable County, Massachusetts, 02541, United States of America
Airport Access Road, West Tisbury, Dukes County, Massachusetts, United States of America
Scene: (shark strikes at a little boy)

The film that invented the summer blockbuster – and taught a generation to fear the water – was shot on and around the island of Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts. Its fake shark broke down so often that Steven Spielberg was forced to barely show it, which is precisely why it’s so terrifying.

Where was Jaws filmed?

Jaws was filmed on Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts – the towns of Edgartown and West Tisbury standing in for Amity Island – with real great-white footage shot off South Australia.

Every Jaws location, explained

1

Amity Island – Martha’s Vineyard

The whole of Amity is Martha’s Vineyard: Edgartown became the town centre, and the beaches and ponds of West Tisbury hosted the attacks.

2

The beaches and the pond

The famous attack scenes used the island’s real beaches, while the estuary “pond” sequence was shot on the Vineyard’s tidal inlets.

3

The open water

The Orca’s shark hunt was filmed in the genuine open sea off the Vineyard – a decision that caused endless trouble with the mechanical shark.

4

The real sharks – South Australia

The terrifying live great-white footage was captured by second-unit divers off Kangaroo Island, South Australia, then cut into the film.

Planning a visit

Martha’s Vineyard is a popular summer island off Cape Cod, reachable by ferry. Edgartown’s harbour and the island’s beaches remain instantly recognisable to fans – just maybe don’t hum the two-note theme while swimming.

Jaws Fun Facts

1
The broken shark made it scarier The mechanical shark, nicknamed ‘Bruce’, constantly failed in saltwater, so Spielberg suggested the threat instead of showing it – and terrified everyone.
2
Bruce was named after a lawyer The shark was named ‘Bruce’ after Spielberg’s lawyer.
3
The real sharks are Australian The live great-white footage was shot off Kangaroo Island, South Australia.
4
It invented the summer blockbuster Jaws was the first film to top $100 million at the box office and created the wide-release summer model.
5
'You're gonna need a bigger boat' was improvised Roy Scheider’s most famous line was reportedly an on-set ad-lib.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Amity Island a real place?
No – Amity is fictional, played by the real island of Martha’s Vineyard.
Can you visit the Jaws locations?
Yes – Martha’s Vineyard is a popular summer island reachable by ferry, and Edgartown’s harbour is recognisable to fans.
Why don't you see the shark much?
The mechanical shark kept breaking, so Spielberg showed it sparingly – which made the film far scarier.
Who directed Jaws?
Steven Spielberg, in the film that made his name.