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6 things you can do in the 'real-life' Mayberry
There is the show-version of Mayberry, the Mayberry in Virginia and Mount Airy... the 'real-life' Mayberry! Here's what you can do there!
If you're a fan of The Andy Griffith Show, there's a solid chance you have wanted to visit Mayberry at one point or another. If you're still interested in seeing Mayberry, there's a couple of different ways you can plan a trip!
The fictional town of Mayberry, North Carolina has some strong ties to the hometown of Andy Griffith, Mount Airy, North Carolina.
Just a short drive away from the star's hometown is the real Mayberry, across the state line in Virginia! It's where you'll find Mayberry Church Road and the Mayberry Trading post, which Griffith's grandparents have ties to!
The Andy Griffith Show has plenty of roots in the state of North Carolina, for plenty of reasons. About an hour and a half southeast of Mount Airy is Siler City, where Aunt Bee actor Frances Bavier decided to retire!
Though the name of Griffith's hometown is Mount Airy, the city prides itself on being the "real-life Mayberry!" Aside from the annual Mayberry Days Festival, Mount Airy has plenty of year-round Andy Griffith Show attractions too!
Here are six things you can do in Mount Airy, Andy Griffith's hometown and the "real-life Mayberry."
Watch The Andy Griffith Show on MeTV!
Weeknights at 8 & 8:30, Sundays at 12 & 6 PM
*available in most MeTV markets1. Go on a squad car tour
When visiting Mount Airy, nothing will make you feel like you're in Mayberry more than a trip through town in a squad car! These replica cars tour the charming town for up to 45 minutes, passing up all the Mayberry sights you'd want to see! More about these below!
Image credit: visitnc.com
2. Stay at the Mayberry Motor Inn
Perhaps the squad car can drop you off at the Mayberry Motor Inn. With a stay here, you can check out Aunt Bee's room! Frances Bavier has a room dedicated to her at this motel! Per visitmayberry.com, certificates of authenticity exist for more than 30 of Bavier's belongings from gloves to glasses.
Image credit: visitmayberry.com
3. Check out Andy's childhood home
Operated by the Hampton Inn of Mount Airy is Andy Griffith's childhood home! Andy's Homeplace is a bed and breakfast that's just a short walk from downtown Mount Airy. The house is filled with antiques and is wrapped in '30s and '40s decor.
Image credit: visitnc.com
4. Get a cut at Floyd's City Barber Shop
This '50s-style barber shop sits right on Main Street in Mount Airy. According to visitmayberry.com, "the shop is both a fully-functioning barber shop and tourist draw. Stop by and meet Bill, son of original owner Russell Hiatt." Hiatt was the real-life Floyd the Barber, in the "real-life" Mayberry, cutting hair until he was 90 years old! Over seven decades of cutting hair, Hiatt amassed "more than 30,000 photographs" on is Wall of Fame!
Image credit:visitnc.com
5. Grab a pork chop sandwich at Snappy Lunch
Yes, this is the same Snappy Lunch referenced in the season one episode of The Andy Griffith Show titled "Andy the Matchmaker." Griffith suggests he and Barney head to the Snappy Lunch for a bite to eat, perhaps because he frequented the joint as a child! The spot is known for its pork chop sandwich, a "boneless, tenderized loin chop dipped in sweet-mile batter and fried until golden crisp," says visitmayberry.com! No trip to Mount Airy would be complete without a stop at Snappy Lunch!
Image credit: visitnc.com
6. Walk through the Andy Griffith Museum
The Andy Griffith Show and all of its history can be seen on display at the Andy Griffith Museum! Just a half-mile from Andy's childhood home, you can see hundreds and hundreds of items collected by Andy's childhood friend Emmett Forrest. Various items from Don Knotts and Betty Lynn can be seen at the museum, along with the iconic signs from the courthouse that read "Sheriff" and "Justice of the Peace."
Image credit: visitmayberry.com
SEE MORE: Go inside Mike Haviland's magnificent Mayberry collection!
Mike Haviland is the man of Mayberry with his impressive collection of The Andy Griffith Show memorabilia. He and his collection were featured on season three of Collector's Call!
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111 Comments
Maggie Sawtell.
Comedian
Beetlejuice.
movie The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
Krupte from the 1961 classic movie West Side Story.
The Lone Ranger (John Hart).
Cynthia Brannigan :
Marla Pennington.
It's too bad that Cynthia Brannigan (Marla Pennington)
Appeared in 2 episodes ONLY
Before Disappearing from
Happy Days With No Explanation.
10 Characters On Happy Days
Vanishing Into Thin Air starting
With Moose Barry Greenberg and
Chuck Cunningham 1 Gavan O'Herlihy.The last Happy Days Characters who vanished into
thin air with no explanation
were KC Cunningham played by
Crystal Bernard and Flip Phillips
(Billy Warlock).
EUGENE BELVIN (Denis Mandel)
For The First Time. Season 8
Of Happy Days.
(Barry Greenberg) was played by
Carey Williams.
(Carol Williams) a date with
Fonzie's new friend Sticks Downey Jr (John Anthony Bailey).
Kathy O'Dare played Lois and she played Mary Lou Mulligan on the Happy Days episode called All The Way (Episode one season
One .)
IMO the "real Mayberry" lies in the hearts and fandom of the people described in the "Mayberry Days" article. Exactly about making friends, and even spousal connections! Getting ready for the festival and welcoming new and old visitors.
I'm not an ultra-fan of this particular series, but the article is a good representation of what in can be with people of similar interest MeTV Writers should repost their article on Betty Lynn to remind Readers how much she meant to fans And to them, was just as important as a Mary Tyler Moore or Betty White.
But that's just me.
Taylor. I wish that actors Roy Stuart Cpl Boyle on GOMER Pyle USMC and
Russell Johnson Professor Roy Hinkley Skip Young Wally Plumstead on The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet Alvy Moore Hank Kimball on
Green Acres Elizabeth Lou Ann Poovie and Frank Nelson from The Jack
Benny Show would all have fit in just fine because all of those TV characters were friendly people.
One interesting note. The Snappy Lunch and Floyd’s Barbershop are right next door to each other.
Real McCoys as JUANITA??
Gilligan's Island Green Acres
Petticoat Junction The Dukes of Hazzard and the cartoon series FREAKAZOID and The Jeffersons Theme Song.Those TV Theme Songs are some of the Best TV Theme Songs of All Time!!
If you were doing the show then (1960-68), who would you have cast as Juanita and who else would be there (e.g., the owner or a cook)?
Mary Ann Summers (Dawn Wells) of Gilligan's Island and
Cpl. Boyle (Roy Stuart) of
GOMER Pyle USMC or a Mashup
Of Chuck Cunningham 2 Randolph Roberts and Roger Phillips Ted McGinley of Happy
Days or a Mashup of Ralph Malph Donny Most of Happy Days and Bag Zombroski Neil J Schwartz of Happy Days and
Finally A Mashup of Moose Barry Greenberg of Happy Days
And Eugene Belvin Denis Mandel of Happy Days as the Resident
Smart Nerds of Arnold's Drive In
Milwaukee on Happy Days?
Mary Ann Summers (Dawn Wells)and Lou Ann Poovie Elizabeth MacRae would be fun to watch or a Mashup with BOTH Chuck Cunningham s (Gavan O'Herlihy and Randolph Roberts) would also be fun to watch
Stooges Moe Larry and Joe.
( MeTV, Cozi, AntennaTV,The CW, Etc....) also some of the free streaming platforms
( Pluto, Tubi, Crackle, Etc....) They all have distribution rights to these various shows.
Corporal Boyle Bag Zombroski
Professor Roy Hinkley Wally Plumstead Professor Pepperwinkle
And The 3 Stooges Eddie Cantor and
Joe Penner and Pee Wee Herman
Would ALL have Fit In with the
Friendly Residents of both
Mayberry and Hooterville because the
TV persons that I mentioned were all
Easy Going and friendly and cool
Calm and collected persons.
From Happy Days would also
have been Ideal Residents of either Hooterville or Mayberry.
MOE: Hi sheriff. What’ll you have?
ANDY: I’d like the special - filet of sole.
MOE (to CURLY in the kitchen): One filet of sole!
CURLY (cutting of the bottom of a shoe): One filet of sole - coming up!
LARRY (at the cash register, looking at Barney’s tie for stains): Soup, spaghetti with meatballs, and custard pie.
On The 3 Stooges with Moe Howard Larry Fine Curly Howard
Shemp Howard &Joe Besser