A Ride Through Andy Griffith's Hometown
Squad Car Tours Takes Devoted Fans & New Binge Watchers Around Mount Airy, Pointing Out Show References And Telling True Stories About Andy's Childhood
“No one will admit to Aunt Bee's homemade pickles being the worst they've ever tasted. Andy switches them with store-bought ones to avoid eating hers, but her decision to enter them in the county fair presents a dilemma.”
That's the kind of light-hearted issue that make up The Andy Griffith Show, a popular 1960s television series that features Sheriff Andy and his son Opie, who live with Andy's Aunt Bee in the fictional town of Mayberry, North Carolina.
While the Andy Griffith Show usually does not need an introduction, what many people – fans included – do not know is that Mayberry is based on Andy Griffith's home town of Mount Airy, North Carolina, a town that's now home to the famous Squad Car Tours.
Fans of the show can be given a tour of Andy's home town – including his childhood home and some spots along Main Street – inside a replica of the squad cars used in the Andy Griffith Show.
“People get in these cars,” said driver Allen Burton, “and it's like a trip back in time. A trip to a simpler time. It all slows down. And people will say, 'It's been a long time since I rode in a car like this. My dad had a similar one.' But we even have kids coming up now who've been watching Andy Griffith on Netflix and such. And they know all about Andy and all about the show. So now there's a new generation coming up with the show, too.”
Fans of all ages are drawn to the Squad Car Tours these days. It's a popular destination for people from all across the US and from all over the world, with drivers giving an average of 30 tours a day and 70 on Saturdays. Not too shabby for a business that started just 15 years ago with only one squad car.
The owner, Mike Cockeral, had attended the dedication of the Andy Griffith Parkway. He had no intentions. He attended “just to be there,” said Burton. But as fate would have it, Cockeral heard a lady behind him saying, “It sure would be nice if someone had a tour so people could look at Andy's house and stuff.”
So Cockeral went out and bought a replica squad car.
“He was working a full-time job at the time,” said Burton. “He worked third shift. And after he woke up every morning, he would get in the squad car and ride up and down the street, asking people if they wanted a tour and seeing what kind of reactions he got. That's what happened. And now he's got seven cars.”
Andy Griffith was born in 1926 and grew up in Mount Airy in a home that his father built in 1935. He lived there until he graduated high school. His parents lived in the home until 1966, when Andy moved them to Hollywood to be closer to him. The 35 minute tour allows visitors to not only see the home and a few other areas of interest, but hear stories about Andy's life in Mount Airy.
“Andy grew up in a church called Haymore Baptist,” said Burton. “When he was 13 years old, he learned to play a French horn. There's a church – which is still here – that was about three to four miles from him, which was called Grace Moravian, and they had a minister that would give free lessons for instruments. Andy put the baritone on the back of his bicycle and rode there every day after school for his lesson. At 15, he moved his membership to that church. He was a member of that church until the day he passed away in 2012.”
This story – and many others – not only explain what kind of determination and creativity Andy had as a child, but who he was as a person even when he became famous. He never seemed to give up his roots, never seemed to quite move on from the small town he once called home.
“I grew up here also,” Burton explained. “We are really neighbors here. We take care of each other. We look after each other. We enjoy talking to people. I think that's what Andy remembered.”
Burton went on to say that the tour really helps people realize that Andy was just a “normal person.” He stated: “Everybody famous – or who thinks they're famous – was born somewhere.”
And while many celebrities can be easily traced to their hometown, Burton said that Mount Airy is unique because it's not only a place where a celebrity's home can be seen, but a town that inspired an entire show. In fact, there are 150 references to Andy's hometown on the Andy Griffith Show, one of which is Snappy Lunch.
“This is a diner that Andy actually ate in while growing up here. And it's mentioned in the show a couple of times, as well as the Grand Theater,” said Burton of the eatery, which is still up and running in town. “In one episode, he was in the courthouse and he was sitting there. Barney comes in. He said, 'Let's go to the Grand tonight and go to the show, and then after it's over with, we can go to Snappy Lunch and get a hotdog and a cup of coffee.'”
Burton – like most Mount Airy residents – believe that Andy wasn't trying to make the town famous. He was truly just remembering all of the good times he had about his childhood there. He was, simply, “a good guy.”
After retiring from his job of 45 years, Burton recently became a driver for the Squad Car Tours.
When he first retired, Burton did not want another job. But the Director of Tourism, Jessica Roberts, sent him an email one day, informing him that the business needed another driver and that he should check it out.
So he did.
“And this is not a job,” gushed Burton. “This is fun. There's a difference between having a job and having fun. And this is fun. I think it's awesome. It's not like any kind of tour you've ever taken. Most of the time you take a tour, you get in the vehicle or truck, and somebody talks a little bit and that's it. We interact. We get back and take pictures with the squad car and with the kids in the car. People are walking down the street taking pictures of the car, waving. You constantly feel like you're in a parade. You have to experience it.”
His favorite part of the job is meeting all of the different people who come from all over the world to see Andy's hometown. But it's not just that; It's how happy they are. How they react to everything they see.
Burton stresses that fact that people arrive loving Mayberry, but when they leave, they love Mount Airy.
Olivia Richman
A graduate of East Connecticut State University in Journalism, Olivia has written for Stonebridge Press & Antiques Marketplace among others. She enjoys writing, running and video games.
Make Sure To Stay At:
Fancy Gap/Blue Ridge Parkway KOA, where you can enjoy miles of pristine hiking trails located along the Blue Ridge Parkway & the New River State Park Trail. Cyclists also can enjoy challenging MTB trails.