Mount Airy Served as an Inspiration for “Mayberry”

MOUNT AIRY, N.C.--Step back to a simpler time when you visit Mount Airy.

Actor Andy Griffith grew up here, and it’s no coincidence that a stroll down Main Street in the “Friendly City” reminds people of the town of Mayberry on the endearing and enduringly popular ‘60s hit TV series.

Fans of The Andy Griffith Show can visit Floyd’s City Barber Shop, the Old City Jail, Snappy Lunch, the Andy Griffith Playhouse and even Andy’s childhood home. Open 7 Days a week on is the Main Oak Emporium which houses the world’s largest collection of Andy Griffith memorabilia, on loan from Andy’s childhood friend Emmett Forrest.

Griffith is not the only Mount Airy native that has received attention. Country music singer, Donna Fargo (born Yvonne Vaughn) sang the 1972 country hit, I’m the Happiest Girl in the Whole U.S.A.

The fiddle belonging to Old-Time legend Tommy Jarrell is on display in the Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C. Visitors can watch a live radio show in person every Saturday morning in Downtown Mount Airy. The Merry-Go-Round is the world’s third longest running live Bluegrass radio show. Visitors can tap their feet at one of the weekly jam sessions. A large fiddler’s convention is held the first weekend in June.

Take in some of Surry County’s crowd-pleasing festivals – the Yadkin Valley Pumpkin Festival, the Sonker Festival, Pilot Mountain’s Mayfest, Mount Airy’s Blue Ridge & Beyond Festival, Mayberry Days and the Autumn Leaves Festival. The annual corn-shucking event at Horne Creek Living Historical Farm every October offers a glimpse of the turn-of-the-century life on the tobacco farm of Thomas and Charlotte Hauser in the Pinnacle community.

Learn about the growing wine industry in the Yadkin Valley by visiting Shelton Vineyards, located 17 miles south of Mount Airy in Dobson. Taste fine wines and tour the vineyard, which opened in 1999. Wine lovers can also enjoy cheese from Shelton Cheeses, made on site.

The Village of Rockford – once the county seat – remains a cherished landmark in Surry County. It is also the site of the sweet potato and barbecue festival. Also visit the Rockford General Store in the Village of Rockford.

Surry County, N.C., offers something for everyone. Outdoor enthusiasts will enjoy riding down the breathtaking Blue Ridge Parkway, which is located just 14 miles north of Mount Airy in Carroll County, Va. Three state parks are nearby Mount Airy, which give outdoor adventurers hiking, canoeing and rockclimbing expeditions.

History buffs can delve into the area’s colorful past at the Mount Airy Museum of Regional History and by visiting the county’s myriad of historic sites, such as the Victorian-style Gertrude Smith House and the antebellum William Alfred Moore House.

The original Siamese Twins, Eng and Chang Bunker, who married sisters and made their homes here, are buried in the cemetery of the White Plains Baptist Church, in a community adjacent to Mount Airy.

Confederate General J.E.B. Stuart was born at Laurel Hill in Ararat, Va., six miles north of Mount Airy, which is now the site of the annual Civil War Encampment and Reenactment each October.

Mount Airy can also boast the claim “Granite City” because the world’s largest open-face granite quarry has been mined since 1889. Several of Mount Airy’s homes and businesses are made of the black-speckled Mount Airy granite, which was also used in the Amoco building in Chicago, Denver International Airport, Centennial Park in Atlanta, the Wright Brothers Memorial in Kill Devil Hills, N.C., and the gold depository at Fort Knox, Ky.

Shoppers will also enjoy a visit to Mount Airy. Everything from stylish clothing, antiques and collectibles, to Andy Griffith memorabilia can be found in charming, Historic Downtown Mount Airy.

To learn more about Mount Airy visit www.visitmayberry.com, or call 800-948-0949 for a visitor packet.