TV Show Town of Mayberry Comes Alive in Mount Airy North Carolina

Jul 10, 2011
James Hutchinson

Andy Griffith Museum in Mount Airy - James Hutchinson

Andy Griffith's hometown of Mount Airy was the inspiration for the fictional town of Mayberry. Locations from the show have been reproduced in the town.

Fans of the television program The Andy Griffith Show can see many of the sites from the fictional town of Mayberry come to life in Mount Airy, North Carolina. The real life hometown of the show’s star has been become a place for fans to reminisce and revel in a locale that celebrates the joys of small town life in America.

Mount Airy is located in north central North Carolina, just south of the Virginia Border, about 30 miles north of Winston-Salem. U.S. Route 52 is the Andy Griffith Parkway, which leads to U.S. 52 Business, which runs into town.

Visiting Mayberry in Mount Airy

Most people will want to start at the Visitors Center on Main Street. There is plenty of street parking, and free parking is also available in lots nearby. The helpful staff at the visitor center can provide maps and point out the things to see in town.

The main tourist area is an easy walk starting on Main Street. Fans of the show will recognize the reproduced landmarks of Floyd’s Barber Shop and The Snappy Kitchen. A short walk brings visitors to Wally’s Service and other storefronts pulled from the show.

There is even a jail, where fans can have their picture taken in Otis’s cell, Downtown has a number of souvenir shops, complete with likenesses of the main characters including, of course, everyone’s favorite Deputy Barney Fife. Speakers outside the store play the show’s whistling theme.

The prime attraction is the Andy Griffith Museum just off the main street. Outside is a statue of Andy and Opie, provided by TV Land, the cable network that still runs the show. You can sit in the motorcycle sidecar in the lobby before entering the main museum. Cost is $4 for adults, which also entities you to see the Siamese Twins exhibit next door. No photography is allowed in the museum.

The museum holds memorabilia from Andy Griffith’s career, including his early stage work, movies and multiple television shows. Andy’s fans will recognize his work as Matlock.

Andy’s boyhood home is bit of walk, (visitor maps are not to scale) and there is little to see. The home is now a bed and breakfast and visitors are asked not to disturb guests staying there.

Dining in Mount Airy

The downtown area is primarily dedicated to the business of the city and the tourist stops, but there are a few restaurants and diners. The Old North State Winery has a restaurant and wine bar in downtown for those wish to sample the products of the local wine industry.

Many of the big chain restaurants are found on nearby on U.S. Route 52. There is also local favorite Aunt Bea’s (just a slight take-off on the Mayberry TV show character, which is spelled Bee.)

Rounding Out a Visit to Mayberry

Fans can also take a ride in a replica squad car. The show often referred to the nearby town of Mount Pilot, which doesn’t exist in real life either, although a short drive away sits Pilot Mountain, a geological oddity, a good-size hill standing alone with a rock outcrop that resembles a head rising out of the mountain.

People who grew up with the show aren’t likely to be disappointed with a short visit, and even those with only a mild interest can enjoy a nice day in the scenic countryside of Central North Carolina, and take home a souvenir or two.