Martha’s Vineyard is a small island located off the coast of Cape Cod in Massachusetts. In recent years, its popularity has increased due to some famous faces vacationing on the island.
We love vacationing on Martha’s Vineyard. There are so many things to do on this beautiful island whether you’re spending a week or just doing a day trip.
However, Martha’s Vineyard is also known as the home of Jaws, the 1975 movie about a great white shark terrorizing a New York vacation town. More than 40 years later, the Jaws filming locations of some of the most pivotal scenes of the film are still present, thanks to the efforts of preserving the classic look and feel of the island.
If you want to visit some of the locations where Jaws was filmed, the guide below features six places on Martha’s Vineyard (and some clips so you can place them!).
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Fun Facts About Filming Jaws on Martha’s Vineyard
- Lee Fierro, who played Mrs. Kintner, lived on Martha’s Vineyard. Her famous slap scene took 17 takes!
- Martha’s Vineyard was not the first choice to film Jaws. The location scout initially wanted to check out Nantucket, but a storm forced his ferry to detour to Martha’s Vineyard.
- Robert Shaw was shot at (not on purpose) his first night on Martha’s Vineyard. A local, who thought the house was empty, shot a rifle at the front door of the house. Why? Who knows!
- Another Martha’s Vineyard local, Craig Kingsbury, not only inspired how Robert Shaw played the character Quint, but also provided one of the biggest scares in the movie – his disembodied head pops out of the boat!
- Quint’s shack was too tall for local zoning laws and required special permission to be built. The structure had to be torn down immediately after filming.
Jaws Filming Locations on Martha’s Vineyard
1. Edgartown as Amity
Edgartown, an old whaling town on the island, stood in as the town of Amity. Many of the buildings seen in the movie are still standing today, thanks to Martha’s Vineyard’s focus on preservation.
If you like to see an actual prop from the film, visit the South Water Street location of Rockland Trust (formerly Edgartown National Bank).
After you explore the streets that Brody walked along, enjoy some shopping in the various souvenir shops in town. They not only sell Martha’s Vineyard merchandise, but many sell t-shirts and sweatshirt with “Amity” and other Jaws references emblazoned on them.
2. Chappy Ferry
The Jaws ferry scene where Mayor Vaughn tries to convince Brody that there is no danger in the water takes place on the Chappy Ferry.
This small ferry connects Edgartown to the island of Chappaquiddick. Not much has changed about the look of the boats since the filming of the movie. You can take a trip over to Chappy to reenact that moment in the film.
If you don’t want to take a ride, you can get a perfect view of the ferries from the top of the Memorial Wharf (one of our favorite locations in Edgartown!).
3. Aquinnah and Gay Head Light
Still inhabited the Wampanoag tribe, Aquinnah is home to the beautiful, multi-colored clay cliffs known as the Gay Head Cliffs. The scene where Hooper and Brody try to convince Mayor Vaughn of the great white shark in the waters (but to no avail) was filmed there.
While in Aquinnah, visit the historic Gay Head Lighthouse. The lighthouse is over 150 years old and was recently relocated 129 feet away from its original location due to the erosion of the cliffs. Gay Head and Aquinnah are one of our favorite places to visit on Martha’s Vineyard.
The historical structure makes an appearance towards the end of the scene when Mayor Vaughn states, “For Christ’s sake, tomorrow is the Fourth of July! And we will be open for business”.
4. The “Big Bridge”
One of the scarier scenes in the film, the Jaws bridge scene takes place on Joseph Sylvia State Beach and the American Legion Memorial Bridge. Locals call this the “Big Bridge.” Many visitors refer to it as the “Jaws Bridge”.
In the scene, the shark swims through the water under the bridge and attacks a man boating in the pond (see below). Brody’s son, Michael, is a witness to the event and ends up in shock.
The bridge, which connects Oak Bluffs and Edgartown, is a favorite spot for the adventurous types. People of all ages ascend the railing to jump into the water below. Although there are signs posted against the activity, it is a summer tradition on the island.
5. Sengekontacket Pond
On the other side of the bridge, where the shark attacked the boater in the movie, is Sengekontacket Pond. In reality, it is a peaceful place for swimming, kayaking, or even clamming. Exploring the waters for various sea creatures is a fun activity for the kids.
6. Menemsha
Quint, the man Brody hires to catch the shark, lives in a shack on the water. Built for the film, the house stood in Menemsha, a small fishing village in the town of Chilmark.
Although the structure was demolished after filming, visitors can see many of the other small buildings and large fishing boats that line and fill the harbor.
Menemsha is a great place for a seafood meal whether it is a sit-down dinner at Homeport, or a lobster roll and clam chowder to go from Larsen’s Fish Market.
While you are in town, enjoy the sunset while sitting on the jetty or the beach. It is one of the most popular spots on the island to spend the evening!
More Fun on Martha’s Vineyard
Visiting the film locations for Jaws is an entertaining way to spend your time on Martha’s Vineyard. There are more fun things to do in Oak Bluffs and things to see Edgartown while you are visiting the island as well, and all of them are kid-friendly.
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