“Moonrise Kingdom” was filmed almost entirely in coastal Rhode Island, especially around Jamestown (the fictional New Penzance Island) and nearby towns.

Main filming locations

  • Jamestown / Conanicut Island – Used as the primary stand‑in for the movie’s island, including the Conanicut Island Lighthouse for the Bishop family’s house and the cove under Fort Wetherill State Park for the “Moonrise Kingdom” beach.
  • Newport, Rhode Island – Trinity Episcopal Church on Spring Street appears as St. Jack’s, where key town scenes and the storm climax unfold.
  • South Kingstown & Rockville – Bayfield Farm in South Kingstown plays Camp Ivanhoe, while Yawgoog Scout Reservation near Rockville/Hopkinton appears as the larger scout camp “Fort Lebanon.”
  • West Greenwich & other spots – Stepstone Falls in West Greenwich is used for Sam’s hideout, with additional shots around Long Pond, Narragansett Bay, Tiverton, Watch Hill, and other Rhode Island coastal areas to build the island’s look.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.