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, too. As opposed to other destinations around the world that have more of an arm’s length, complicated relationship with how Hollywood has portrayed them, Vineyarders tend to have a loving relationship with Jaws. The film has endured for over half a century because of its authentic, loving depiction of this island.
The magic is that you can opt in or out of experiencing Martha’s Vineyard through the lens of Jaws. You can visit the most iconic Jaws filming locations (which we’ve gathered here, below) or you can simply experience the island for what it’s always been: a place of quiet rhythms, salt air and rustic beauty that long predates Hollywood’s camera.
Edgartown—or, “Amity”
Start in Edgartown, the polished harbor village that doubled as Amity’s town center. Here you’ll find whitewashed captain’s homes where summer renters enjoy cocktails on their patios, and ice cream shops that mainlanders fantasize about visiting all year round. It’s also home to Faraway Martha’s Vineyard, one of the best hotels on the island. Wander down Main Street, go by Edgartown Town Hall and you’re basically exploring a movie set—almost nothing has changed since Jaws filmed here.
