8 U.S. Small Towns You’ll Recognize from Movies

Hollywood films aren’t always set against big city skylines or in top tourist destinations. Sometimes, the most memorable movie scenes are shot along quiet coasts, in rural farmlands, and on charming main streets. Across the U.S., small towns have stepped into starring roles on the big screen — some of them more than once. A few have even become pilgrimage sites for die-hard film fans who want to step inside their favorite scenes. Check out eight small towns in the U.S. that are famous from the big screen.

Tybee Island, Georgia

Tybee Island, a barrier island off the coast of Savannah, Georgia, is known for its historic lighthouse and wide sandy beaches. Despite its unassuming, laid-back atmosphere, the island has hosted a long list of Hollywood film sets over the years. Notably, many scenes from Baywatch (2017) were filmed here, using Tybee’s seaside scenery as a stand-in for the fictional Emerald Bay, Florida, where lifeguard Mitch Buchannon and his crew patrolled the surf. More recently, this camera-ready island has appeared in The Menu (2022) and Fly Me to the Moon (2024).

Ipswich, Massachusetts

Less than an hour’s drive north of Boston, Ipswich is a coastal New England town with colonial homes, scenic marshes, and historic estates. It has also become one of the most recognizable filming locations in Massachusetts, hosting the sets of The Witches of Eastwick (1987), Ghosts of Girlfriends Past (2009), The Equalizer (2014), and Shutter Island (2010) — to name just a few.

One of the most prominent movies filmed here was Greta Gerwig’s critically acclaimed 2019 film Little Women, which was primarily shot at Castle Hill on the Crane Estate, a grand 1920s mansion with a sprawling lawn that stretches toward the Atlantic Ocean. Also on the grounds is the Inn at Castle Hill, an ideal getaway for movie fans or those seeking peaceful accommodations by the sea.

Dyersville, Iowa

The 1989 film Field of Dreams introduced baseball fans everywhere to the small Iowa farming town of Dyersville. The movie’s memorable baseball field still stands today, surrounded by rows of corn just as it appeared on screen. The town has become a destination for baseball fans and movie lovers alike, inviting visitors to walk the field, play some catch, and tour the farmhouse. Special events, tournaments, and even Major League Baseball games (located at a new ballpark next door) are also held here.

Edgartown, Massachusetts

Once a major whaling port, Edgartown is situated on the eastern end of Martha’s Vineyard, a popular summer getaway off the coast of Massachusetts. The town served as a primary filming location for the fictional Amity Island in Steven Spielberg’s 1974 blockbuster thriller Jaws. Among the recognizable locations in the film are Edgartown Town Hall, which portrayed Amity Town Hall, and South Beach, where the opening shark attack scene takes place. More than 50 years later, film buffs still flock to the island, local stores carry Amity-themed souvenirs, and tour companies offer guided treks to filming sites.

Woodstock, Illinois

Despite being set in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania — the real home of Punxsutawney Phil — the 1993 comedy Groundhog Day was filmed in Woodstock, a small town 50 miles northwest of Chicago. You may recognize the historic Woodstock Square as the setting for the movie’s time-looping plot. Surrounded by Victorian homes, boutiques, eateries, and art galleries, it’s a favorite stop for visitors today.

The town embraces its connection to the holiday, hosting an annual weeklong Groundhog Day celebration with its very own Woodstock Willie groundhog. Woodstock is no stranger to the film industry, having also served as a site for holiday films, several TV series, and the 1987 comedy Planes, Trains and Automobiles.

Blairstown, New Jersey

The quiet town of Blairstown, New Jersey, became a pilgrimage site for horror movie enthusiasts after the release of the 1980 classic Friday the 13th. Key locations from the film include Main Street, Roy’s Hall, and the Blairstown Diner, which hosts regular Friday the 13th events. The nearby Camp No-Be-Bo-Sco also served as Camp Crystal Lake in the film. Today, it is a private Boy Scout camp, but public guided tours allow visitors to experience some of the film’s most recognizable scenery.

Astoria, Oregon

On the shores of the Columbia River near the Pacific Ocean, Astoria is one of Oregon’s most scenic coastal towns, and it has become one of Hollywood’s favorite filming locations, too. Astoria is best known as the setting of The Goonies, Spielberg’s 1985 cult classic adventure-comedy. Today, fans visit the hillside neighborhood where the Goonies House still stands, along with other filming locations around town.

Another worthwhile stop is the Oregon Film Museum, housed in a former jail that was also featured in The Goonies. The museum explores the history of Oregon’s film industry, which has hosted more than 400 productions, including some filmed in Astoria, like the 1993 family film Free Willy.

Wakita, Oklahoma

Set in the rural plains of Oklahoma, Twister captivated audiences with the storm of the century when it made its big-screen debut in 1996. Much of the storm-ravaged set — including Aunt Meg’s house — was located in Wakita. The small town is located in Tornado Alley, which served as inspiration for the film. Fans can learn more at the Twister the Movie Museum, housing props such as “Dorothy 1” and other film memorabilia.

The standalone sequel, Twisters (2024), was also filmed in Oklahoma, but not in Wakita. Instead, it took place in various towns across the state, including El Reno, a small suburb of Oklahoma City, which served as the backdrop for the local farmers market — one of the film’s most intense tornado scenes.