Mayberry home of The Andy Griffith Show
There has long been speculation that Andy Griffith's hometown of Mount Airy, a village in western North Carolina five miles or so from the Virginia state line, served as the inspiration for Mayberry, North Carolina. Although Mount Airy appears to be much more modern and larger than the Mayberry in which Andy and Barney patrolled the town with a single squad car and almost everyone knew one another, the Andy Griffith Show was so popular that it led to the development of a tourist industry centered around its connection to the fictional Mayberry.
Only one traffic light, one long distance phone line, one interstate bus line stop, and in the final season, a railroad station with a sign proclaiming a population of 5,360 were present in the fictional Mayberry. Floyd, a barber, and Wally's gas store and garage, which Gomer Pyle subsequently worked at after Gomer left town to enlist in the Marines, are the only ones we are aware of. According to Griffith himself, Pilot Mountain, not his hometown, was the town that served as the true inspiration for the bucolic Mayberry. Pilot Mountain was and is considerably smaller than Mount Airy, more in keeping with the made-up community portrayed in Mayberry, RFD and The Andy Griffith Show.
However, Mount Airy makes the most of its fame as the place where Griffith spent his formative years by hosting events and tourism destinations centered around Mayberry. Some of the locals refer to it as Mayberry. Other communities imitate it, and the connection to the made-up town plays a big role in local attractions. However, the backlot of Desilu Studios in Culver City, California, as well as other adjacent locales, served as the Mayberry where Andy, Barney, Opie, Aunt Bee, and their friends had their adventures. No scenes for The Andy Griffith Show or Mayberry, RFD were filmed in North Carolina.
- Location: North Carolina
