It’s easy to long for a simpler time when everyone knew their neighbors. Whether real, imagined, or somewhere in between, The Andy Griffith Show’s Mayberry, North Carolina, is about as close to that utopia as it gets. While the show was filmed at a studio in California, nostalgia seekers can visit Andy’s hometown and the real-life inspiration for the show, Mount Airy, North Carolina.
Stroll the main street, take a squad car tour, and see Andy Griffith memorabilia. Plan a trip during any season since there are plenty of offerings in town and nearby. Mayberry fans won’t want to miss September’s Mayberry Days festival filled with old-fashioned fun. Here are the best things to do in this small North Carolina town that will make you feel right at home.
Eat at the Snappy Lunch
Stop in at the Snappy Lunch, the only existing business Andy ever mentioned on the show. Opened in 1923, the Snappy Lunch is known for their world-famous pork chop sandwiches and was a popular lunch hangout for students, including Andy Griffith back before the local schools had cafeterias. Open for breakfast or lunch, plan to arrive early because the line waiting for the classic, made-from-scratch sandwiches under the vintage Coca-Cola sign can stretch up the street on busy days.
Explore Wally’s Service Station
Located a short distance away on South Main Street, Wally’s Service Station looks so much like its namesake from the show, that you almost expect to see Gomer and Goober come out the door to fill up your tank. Pose beside a life-size Barney Fife cutout and shop for Mayberry souvenirs and old-fashioned snacks before exploring all of the retro vehicles and storefronts from the show—Gomer and Goober’s tow truck, Mayberry Union High, Foley’s Market, the courthouse and jail cell , the Mayberry Hotel, and the Darlings’ truck and cabin.
Take a Squad Car Tour
What better way is there to tour Andy’s hometown than to ride shotgun in a replica 1960s Ford Galaxie squad car? Meet inside Wally’s Service Station to begin the Squad Car Tours of Mt. Airy’s trip to all of the top spots of Mayberry. Led by a local guide, the Mayberry squad car tour is a great opportunity to hear the story behind how the people and places of Mount Airy became the Mayberry that people love. Guides are happy to stop for pictures and will even pretend to arrest you before you go.
See Inside Mayberry Courthouse
If you’ve always wanted to make a citizen’s arrest, this is the perfect opportunity. Located on the Wally’s Service Station property, visitors are invited to walk right in. Take a seat behind Sheriff Taylor’s desk, or pretend to be everyone’s favorite Deputy, Barney Fife, with a bullet in his pocket.
Two cells are open for visitors to walk in, free of charge, and pose behind bars at one of the most famous jails in television history. One cell is for the not-so-hardened criminals of Mayberry, like Ernest T. Bass, whose famous brick is posed in front of the bars; the other is for Mayberry’s favorite town drunk, Otis, complete with a television and rocking chair.
