On a driving trip in the Southeastern U.S. this summer, I wanted to take a break from the road and happened to be near Mount Airy, North Carolina, so I thought I would check out Andy Griffith’s hometown. The town promotes itself as the “real” Mayberry that inspired the fictional town in The Andy Griffith Show (1960-1968).
As I drove into town, I was greeted by a multi-lane road with fast food, gas stations, car dealers, and similar signs of modern towns. But, once I finally arrived at the downtown area of Mount Airy, I found a charming old-fashioned downtown that reminded me of the small town in Ohio where I grew up.
Much of the shops and restaurants are designed to capitalize on the Mayberry theme. The commercialism of Mayberry takes a little away from the charm, but one gets the sense that the Mayberry connection is what keeps many of the places in business as tourists like me come to visit. So, I cannot blame them for embracing their Mayberry heritage.
Just outside the Mount Airy downtown area is The Andy Griffith Museum, which opened in 2009 and has memorabilia from Andy Griffith’s career. It is a small museum, but worth a stop if you are in the area. They have the sheriff’s desk from The Andy Griffth Show. They also have the chair used by Barney Fife (Don Knotts) that was bronzed and signed by the cast as a gift for Don Knotts when he left the show.
The best part of the museum, though, is that Betty Lynn, who played Barney’s girlfriend Thelma Lou in the series, now lives in Mount Airy and she is often at the museum to talk to fans and sign autographs. And because of some good luck, during my brief time in Mayberry, I got to meet Thelma Lou. She was very nice and willing to talk to fans. If I would have thought about it, I would have asked her about one of my favorite episodes of the show where Barney returned to the sixth season of the show to attend a reunion where he encountered Thelma Lou again. It may be the saddest episode in the series.
Anyway, my point is that if you are in the area, it is worth visiting Mount Airy for a trip back to Mayberry, even for an afternoon. You’ll leave whistling. . .
Thelma Lou (Betty Lynn) first appears at the beginning of this episode of The Andy Griffith Show.
What are your favorite memories of The Andy Griffith Show? Leave a comment.
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