Piedmont Triad Area

Visit Mayberry In Mount Airy

Visit the North Carolina town whose friendliness inspired a much-loved 1960's TV sitcom, and still honors her native son.

Mention Mayberry, and immediately you remember the theme song - and its whistle.

That breezy uplifting ditty which accompanied Sheriff Andy Taylor and his redheaded son, Opie, as they strolled, fishing poles in hand, through the opening credits of the 60’s sitcom “The Andy Griffith Show”.

Drive into modern day Mount Airy and suddenly reality and fiction collide!

Not surprising since the real life actor, Andy Griffith, based his character and the series on the people and places of his hometown.

First stop is the Mount Airy Visitors Center off N. Main Street, and discover a friendly staff with a capital F. While the area is rich in other attractions like wineries, the world’s largest open face granite quarry and possesses history from Saura Indians to the original Siamese twins – it is the close connection to an innocent time celebrating small town Americana, which pulls in most visitors.

Armed with a map in hand you can saunter through the city by foot, jump in your vehicle or for a real treat take a Squad Car tour in a replica of Deputy Barney Fife’s or Sheriff Andy’s car.

Leaving from Wally’s Service Station for a $25.00 fee, up to five people can climb in and cruise the sights for 30-45 minutes. A replica of the jail and courthouse is next door, and you know Otis, the series’ lovable town drunk, would feel right at home. Speaking of home, Andy Griffith’s Homeplace has been turned into a cozy bed and breakfast.

Plan ahead and contact Alma Venable at the Mayberry Motor Inn for a look at her Aunt Bee room. A longtime fan of Frances Bavier, the series' beloved “Aunt Bee”, Venable began collecting the late actresses’ items following her estate sale in 1990. She is thrilled to show off her collection, and can often be seen portraying Aunt Bee during the town’s annual Mayberry Days every September.

Ready to shed some hair? A visit to Floyd’s City Barber Shop could be in order. Russell Hiatt has shorn the locks of some famous past residents of Mayberryites like, George Lindsey, AKA Goober, and has over 20,000 photographs of his Wall of Fame.

Hungry?

Stop by the Snappy Lunch restaurant for a fried pork chop sandwich. Other local eateries range from barbeque to Japanese and Mexican.

The arts are a major component of North Carolina life, and Mount Airy offers a wide array at the Andy Griffith Playhouse. Originally an early 20th century elementary school, it was the site of Griffith’s own early thespian training. A TV Land bronze statue of the Sheriff Taylor and Opie resides outside the playhouse.

Friends of Andy, like local merchant Emmett Forrest, still honor the man who made their hometown a symbol of simple goodness. Forrest’s the Main Oak Emporium on Main Street, offers a glimpse at the free exhibit of multiple Griffith memorabilia.

For those leaving Mount Airy and heading towards the nearby Virginia state line, on US 52, you will be traveling along the final salute from grateful city residents - the Andy Griffith Parkway.

A visit to the Mayberry charm of Mount Airy is a tonic for the stressed and cynical in all of us. Just pucker up and whistle away your worries.

By Linda J. Bottjer

added: December 12, 2008

updated: June 1, 2009