Mayberry Squad Car Tour Offers Nostalgic View of Andy Griffith's Home Town in NC

 

One of my daughters particularly enjoys older things, so I thought it might be fun to take her and her grandparents on a trip to Mt. Airy, North Carolina to go on a Mayberry Squad Car tour. Andy Griffith grew up in Surry County's Mt. Airy and many of his earlier small town memories made their way into the fictional town of Mayberry in The Andy Griffith Show. We had the opportunity to see the house where he grew up on the tour.

The tours begin at Wally's Service Station at 625 South Main Street. Reservations are not required but are recommended. We went on the 4th of July during the brutal heat of a North Carolina summer and arrived early in the morning, which was fortunate because the squad cars, which are well kept Ford Galaxies from the 1960's, do not have air conditioning. The driver said there are times on particularly hot days that they stop the tours in the afternoons, so you might want to keep that in mind if planning a tour when the weather is hotter. We enjoyed the ride with the windows cranked down!

The tours can accommodate groups of up to five people. We had four in our group and had plenty of room. The driver was quite knowledgeable about the town and the sitcom's setting and characters and shared information and pointed out areas of interest as he drove from site to site. He stopped at several places to give extra time for photos.

The town definitely wants to keep its small home town vibes, and tour riders can see several businesses that give a nod to the show, such as Floyd's Barber Shop, Snappy Lunch, and a museum dedicated to Andy Griffith. Although Andy later moved to Manteo on North Carolina's Outer Banks, I found it interesting that Betty Lynn, who played Barney Fife's girlfriend Thelma Lou, actually moved to Mt. Airy in 2007 and lived there the rest of her life.

An interesting and quite detailed wall mural, The Five Faces of Andy, depicting five stages of Andy Griffith's life, was painted by artist Jex from Greensboro in recent years. Our driver said he enjoyed watching the artist very quickly paint the mural with spray paint as he would drive by for the tour. 

The wall mural also features Pilot Mountain, which is a real life state park in North Carolina that one cannot miss when driving near the landmark on Highway 52. Those who have watched The Andy Griffith Show would likely remember several characters traveling to Mount Pilot, which is based on Pilot Mountain. If you enjoy seeing mountain views and/or hiking or rock climbing, I would recommend visiting the state park.

Mt. Airy is home to the world's largest open faced granite quarry, so the tour cars drive to the quarry for some additional history and photo opportunities. The quarry and many downtown businesses were closed for the holiday, but people taking the tour might consider adding a meal and trip to the museum after the squad car tour.

After the tour, our driver offered to take some photos of us with the squad car, which was fun. We also toured several areas next to the starting point of the tour. Visitors are welcome to step inside the Mayberry courthouse and jail where you might want to make a citizen's arrest! You can also check out Gomer and Goober's tow truck or the Darlin's house.

If you want to take your kids to the squad car tour, this can be particularly fun with multiple generations. The younger generations might want to watch some episodes of The Andy Griffith Show to get a feel for the sitcom and its characters before going on the tour, which my daughter had done. It was a fun time for all of us!

Find more information about the tours at the Mayberry Squad Car Tour official website.

You might also want to visit my site map or read more of my articles. Below are a few suggestions:

• Mt. Airy Squad Car Tour - Learn History About the Andy Griffith Show and Town
• U.S. Ghost Adventures Ghost Tour in Manteo NC
• Pilot Mountain State Park's Little Pinnacle Overlook Trail Offers Beautiful View with Little Effort