I Visited The 'Real Mayberry'
Although the Andy Griffith Show wasn't really filmed there
You know you are in “Mayberry” when you see the sheriff’s car parked on Main Street. This is Mount Airy, North Carolina. Andy Griffith’s hometown. While the Andy Griffith show wasn’t actually filmed here, the town is said to be the inspiration for the set where it was actually shot. The show was in production for eight years.
The town takes advantage of its celeb. There are signs of the show’s characters everywhere you turn. Here, for example, is a café named after Barney Fife.
And the Mayberry Trading Post makes it clear where you are in case you just wandered into town not knowing!
Throughout Mount Airy’s downtown business district are guitar statues. I had to take a photo of this one, of course, because it has Andy’s image.
In keeping with the theme of the town, a throwback to another time when Coca Cola was just 5 cents a bottle.
Of course no trip to “Mayberry” would be complete without a visit to Floyd’s Barber Shop.
Andy wasn’t the only famous person to hail from Mount Airy. Music legends Tommy Jarrell, Benton Flippen and Donna Fargo are from Mount Airy as well. Bluegrass singers and songwriters the Easter Brothers, too.
Pro tip: Mount Airy is a great place to spend a few hours but isn’t actually a destination. But its small businesses depend on tourism to stay a float so spending some money in the shops and restaurants is, I’m sure, much appreciated.
All photos copyright Gary Baumgarten.
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I’ve been a few times. Try the Loaded Goat, the pork chop sandwich at Snappy Lunch and grab a meal at the Amish store. Walk the streets and breath deeply that small town feel any season. Allow half a day to hike around Mount Pilot, which is Pilot Mountain state park. You’ll see for miles into Virginia. Allow a day to visit Old Salem in Winston, which is 30 minutes away. It is a walk back in time before electricity. See the cemetery.
My husband and I just recently visited Mt. Airy for 2 days. If you are fans of the Andy Griffith show , you will love this town. We stayed at Andy’s childhood home for 2 nights. Enjoyed every minute of it! We visited the Andy Griffith museum, ate lunch at Snappy’s diner and Barney’s Cafe. Prices were very reasonable and food was delicious. At Barney’s Cafe I had the best chocolate milkshake ever and the pork sandwich at Snappy’s was just delicious! The shops in town were wonderful. I bought some very treasured souvenirs and enjoyed talking to the owners who run their shops. We had such a great time. I will remember my visit forever!