Mayberry

While I was in the neighborhood I wanted to visit Mt. Airy, Andy Griffith's hometown and the inspiration for his Mayberry. I was surprised to be reminded of the Museum of Jurassic Technology in Los Angeles. The museum mixes factual and fictional exhibits and treats both with earnestness and gravity. Downtown Mt. Airy has the feel of a place that has made great efforts to become the fictional location of Mayberry. There are real places, the Snappy Lunch and Floyd's City Barber Shop, that Griffith used in his show, while other businesses have adopted an early 1960s look to them. Despite this, and the several schlocky gift shops, I enjoyed my visit. I toured the Andy Griffith Museum, ate at the Snappy Lunch, and walked around quite a bit in the rain.

The sheriff's car.

A 1962 sheriff's car is parked in front of the old city jail.

Lunch was a tasty pork chop sandwich at the Snappy Lunch.

Pink Floyd t-shirt.

One of the suits Andy wore on Matlock.

Photography is forbidden at the visitor's center/Andy Griffith museum. I didn't know this until after I had taken several pictures. The visitor's center was impressive. One of Andy Griffith's childhood friends began collecting Griffith memorabilia long ago, and that memorabilia is on display in three galleries. Another gallery displays memorabilia of Mt. Airy native Donna Fargo, and the original Siamese twins, Chang and Eng Bunker, who lived and died nearby, are remembered in another gallery.

Comments

[tien]

matlock!! i loved that show!! he's only lost one case! and that was later re-tried and he won.

[joe]

You must be the youngest Matlock fan! Did you know Andy wrote, directed and produced the show?

[tien]

i believe i knew that, although as a adolescent, i might not have grasped that.