Table of Content
The house sets near the base of that tower.I parked outside of the home and took a few snapshots with my phone. He had long since tapered off hard liquor, but did not give up the white wine he loved, albeit sparingly, until near the end. Shortly before his death, he raised his hands in prayer and re-embraced his faith in a small church near his beloved Roanoke Sound. He was mourned by North Carolina governors, the president, and The New York Times. He met a people of daring dreams and found a way to tap into their watery ways and make them his own. He listened closely to islanders chatting and interacting and transformed it to comedic art, a style that was all his own.
He’s happy to snap your photo and share a little southern hospitality. While we realize that many thousands of people around the country are mourning his passing, we Roanoke Islanders know that we have lost a part of our island's culture. In 2002 Griffith had a North Carolina highway named after him - The Andy Griffith Parkway, U.S. 52, in Mt. Airy.
Opie’s Candy Store- 135 North Main Street
He and his wife raised their seven children in the house. After his death, his daughter Gertrude Smith, an interior designer in New York, returned home to manage the family businesses. As adults, the unmarried Gertrude and two of her brothers lived in the home until Gertrude’s death at the age of 90 in 1981. Floyd’s Barber Shop, Opie’s Candy Store and Barney’s Café all greeted me on Main Street. My heart overflowed with warm memories of my early childhood watching the hit show on our black and white television.
They didn't discuss whether it would compete with the Andy Griffith Museum in Griffith's hometown of Mount Airy, Long said. It’s Andy Griffith’s childhood home and the inspiration for Mayberry in the beloved 1960s sitcom The Andy Griffith Show. Located 40 minutes northwest of Winston-Salem, Mount Airy has embraced its role with a number of attractions that honor its native son and his show.
Mount Airy, North Carolina: Sleep in Andy Griffith's Boyhood Home
The family-friendly festival, hosted by the Surry Arts Council, features a parade, golf tournament, Andy Griffith trivia contests, screenings of show episodes, live entertainment and more. Less than one year after Andy Griffith’s death, his widow intends to raze the house where he once lived with his family. According to friends, Griffith had hoped the house would be turned into a museum. We visited here from South Carolina as a nice little pitstop passing through.
You can tour the town in a vintage squad car, see a replica jail, and enjoy places that remind you of Mayberry. The shop is both a fully-functioning barber shop and tourist draw. Stop by and meet Bill, son of original owner Russell Hiatt.
Andy's Homeplace
Almost a dozen local musicians were on stage with their fiddles, guitars, and even a bass or two. There was a loose agenda, and each took turns leading a variety of gospel, country and bluegrass tunes. A variety of singers were called up on stage throughout the two hour program, which added to the character and entertainment of the evening.

See on mapOvernight accommodations are available at the Mayberry Motor Inn, where guests can request the Aunt Bee room, furnished with items once owned by the late actress, Frances Bavier, who played beloved Aunt Bee. Tony Award-winning costume designer William Ivey Long, whose parents were friends with Andy, recalls a conversation he had with Griffith in 2007 in which Griffith mentioned his hope that the house could be preserved as a museum. Welcome to Urban Splatter, the blog about eccentric luxury real estate and celebrity houses for the inquisitive fans interested in lifestyle and design. Also find the latest architecture, construction, home improvement and travel posts.
Beyond the Guidebook: Mount Airy, the Real-Life Mayberry
We cruised by Andy’s last big house peeking through the pines. It’s just south of the Waterside Theatre, the home of The Lost Colony outdoor drama, where it all began for Andy in the summer of 1947. We’re telling big stories and giving our journalists space to be ambitious.

Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. If you are a fan of The Andy Griffith Show, Mount Airy should be on your travel bucket list.
He will even take your picture sitting in Floyd’s chair, with your camera. I thought bubble gum and candy cigarettes were outlawed long ago. But, seein’ how I was just a stone’s throw from Winston-Salem, home to the R.J. Reynolds tobacco empire, in a time warp, and in a candy store named after the son of the town Sherriff, make believe cigarettes are still available at Opie’s candy store. How to take care of family, love thy neighbor, treat friends and strangers with warmth, help someone in need, and look for the good in people. The show taught us that every problem has a solution, and solving those problems is best done with a sense of humor.

Sometimes the lines blurred, his close friends say, and it was hard for even them to discern the real Andy. But when he told them, “I ’preciate it” for small and big acts they did for him, they knew he was their real man. Aerial shot of Andy’s original island house.They wanted to set it right, to convey the true nature of this man who was a tangle of contradictions, separating the myth from the reality, as hard as that might be. He was a crack skeet shot and a hard drinker, and he was religious in his own way.