
About the Exhibition
Experience Steven Spielberg’s Jaws (1975) like never before. Jaws: The Exhibition is the first-ever exhibition of this scale at the Academy Museum, focused exclusively on a single film, and the largest mounted exhibition ever for Jaws, the Oscar®-winning film from Universal Pictures. It celebrates the film’s 50th anniversary and revisits Jaws scene by scene, through original objects, behind-the-scenes revelations, and interactive moments. Curated with direct access to the collections from Steven Spielberg and The Amblin Hearth Archive, NBCUniversal Archives & Collections, and more, the exhibition dives deep into the film’s production history and explores its enduring impact.
Directed by Oscar winner Steven Spielberg, Jaws became the first summer blockbuster , forever changing the movie industry. The suspenseful adventure film, adapted from the novel by Peter Benchley, is centered on three main characters—Brody, Hooper, and Quint—who hunt a great white shark menacing the seaside town of Amity Island. The monumental success of Jaws belies uncertain beginnings, where production challenges arising from an unprecedented mechanical shark spurred creative problem-solving. More than five decades later, it remains clear that the tenacity of its cast and crew led to the realization of this beloved classic, one of the most influential films in motion picture history.
Jaws: The Exhibition is organized by Senior Exhibitions Curator Jenny He and Assistant Curator Emily Rauber Rodriguez, with Curatorial Assistant Alexandra James Salichs.




Related Events

Tours
Jaws: The Tour
Join museum educators Thursdays through Sundays for 30-minute guided tours of the Jaws: The Exhibition.

Tours
Jaws: The Tour (En Español)
Join museum educators on the first Saturday of the month for a 30-minute guided bilingual tour of the Jaws: The Exhibition.

Screenings

Conversations
Jaws and Its Community Impact: Sharks, Science, and Blockbusters
Special guests representing community partners of the museum and a curator of Jaws: The Exhibition will discuss the impact of Jaws on sharks, science, the influence of blockbusters, and more.
Shop the Exhibition
Supported by
Jaws: The Exhibition is generously supported by Kimberly V. Strauss. Additional support provided by Ashby & Graff Real Estate, Howard and Mirjam Berger, the Givenchy Family, Emma Koss, John Ptak and Margaret Black, The Yeardley Smith Foundation, Richard Talley, and Jon Turteltaub. Academy Museum Digital Engagement Platform supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies. Technology solutions generously provided by Christie®.