A Look at the Martha's Vineyard Locations That Made Jaws the Ultimate Summer Movie

On Location peels back the curtain on some of your favorite films, television shows, and more. There are places that lean into their movie lore—and then there is Martha’s Vineyard. On this sleepy New England island filled with cedar shingle houses, working harbors and coastal charm, the legacy of Jaws feels less like a Hollywood film set and more like something you can still step into. When Steven Spielberg arrived over fifty years ago to shoot the now-classic film, he barely had to do anything by way of set dressing—he merely had to capture Martha’s Vineyard as it was in order to portray the fictional Amity Island. Today, the film still looms large in our collective imagination, shaping how the world views this island. Jaws obsessives still show up every summer, shark-obsessed and camera-ready, and they’re treated to one of the most authentic corners of New England, where the line between film and real life feels delightfully blurred. Kids still jump off the same bridge. Fishermen still set sail from Menemsha Harbor before dawn. And beachgoers still keep a wary eye on the surf, just in case a fin should emerge. What’s striking is that the locals still celebrate Jaws, t