15+ Things to do in Mount Airy North Carolina – Mayberry and so much more!

There are very few small towns in America that many of us would love to visit or even live in, then the fictitious town of Mayberry, North Carolina.

Simple times, a slower life, and everyone knows everyone. Unfortunately, Mayberry existed only in Hollywood. But you can get really close by visiting Mount Airy, North Carolina, hometown to Andy Griffith himself, and the town that inspired Hollywood's Mayberry.

Mount Airy, the real-life Mayberry, is a lovely small Blue Ridge Mountain town that offers tons of things to see and do, regardless of whether you're a fan of the incredibly popular Andy Griffeth Show or not.

While many of the things to see and do in Mount Airy North Carolina pay homage to the TV show, many others highlight the town's rich heritage, beauty, and unique Surry County culture. A visit to Mount Airy, NC offers visitors a well-rounded experience beyond the world of Mayberry.

Join us, as we uncover the many wonderful things to do in Mount Airy North Carolina! Mount Airy is far more than just Mayberry.

Attractions and Things to do in Mount Airy North Carolina

Mount Airy had been on our bucket list of visit for years because of its popularity and its history with Andy Griffith and the famous Andy Griffith Show. Earlier this year (2024), we finally visited, meet some wonderful folks, and experienced many of the very best things to do in Mount Airy, North Carolina.

Of course, we had to hit all the Mayberry themed attractions, but we also ventured out and explored several other unique and fun things to see and do in and around Mount Airy as well.  

The Andy Griffith Museum

A visit to Mount Airy just wouldn't seem complete without a tour of the Andy Griffith Museum. I mean, how would you explain yourself? Heck, Barney might throw you in jail and give you the key!

The Andy Griffith Museum is located just a short walk from downtown Mount Airy at the Surry Arts Council center and next to the Andy Griffith Playhouse, where Andy performed as a young boy and his acting career began.

The museum houses the largest collection of Andy Griffith-related artifacts and memorabilia, including several original items from the Andy Griffith Show and Matlock. Andy Griffith, Don Knotts, and other cast members donated many of the items featured. Andy's lifetime friend Emmett Forrest donated many others.

At the main entrance, you purchase tickets to the museum and receive a Mayberry Sheriff's badge to wear. You then take the self-guided tour through the main museum floor, which features photos, items, and historic information on the life of Andy Griffith. 

The museum contains a number of "mock" buildings, including Snappy Lunch (more on this historic restaurant below), The Earle Theater, and Mayberry. At the Earle Theater section, you get to see clips from some of Andy's famous movies. They really highlight his talent as an actor, comedian, and singer.

There is also a recreation of the Mayberry Sheriff and Justice of the Peace office, featuring real memorabilia from the TV show. The two signs on the entry doors come from the actual studio set where The Andy Griffith Show was filmed.

A quick walk outside and downstairs takes you to the Betty Lynn Addition. Betty Lynn played Thelma Lou (Barney Fife's girlfriend) in the Andy Griffith show. Locals knew and liked Betty Lynn, who lived and died in Mount Airy.

The Betty Lynn addition of the museum contains additional items from the Andy Griffith Show, including items from her, Jim Nabors, and others. Until her death, Betty Lynn would often appear at the museum to meet visitors and sign autographs.

We were also able to tour the Andy Griffith Playhouse, where we listened to Andy's famous "What it was, was football" monologue that really catapulted his career. After listening to the hilarious monologue, we toured the theater itself, along with the dressing rooms. All along the walls and in the various rooms are Andy memorabilia.  

We really enjoyed our visit and seeing all the historical items featured there. It really made us realize the impact Andy had during his time, and the impact the show itself had on America. We really didn't fully understand the depth of his career and the impact he had on American TV and movies until completing our tour.

Siamese Twins Museum

The Siamese Twins Museum is across the street from the Andy Griffith Museum and also in the Surry County Arts Council building. The museum recently opened to the public on July 1, 2024, after our visit to Mount Airy.

BUT, we were able to get a sneak peek inside with the executive director of Surry County Art Council, Tanya Jones.

Please note, our photos are from our "sneak peek" of the exhibit, which was still under construction when we visited. The actual museum, now that it's open, is more polished and complete.

The story behind the Siamese Twins Museum is both fascinating and encouraging. Long story short (you can learn far more by visiting the museum), the museum highlights the lives of Eng and Chang, two conjoined twins from the country of Siam (now Thailand and yes Siam ... as in Siamese). They married and settled in rural North Carolina, first in Wilkes County, then moved to Mount Airy later.  

There is far more to their incredible story and journey from Siam to the United States, and they had a pretty profound impact on Mount Airy and Surry county as well. In fact, Tanya, the executive director, is the great-great-granddaughter of Eng, one twin.

We began our tour by stepping over the construction tape. We kind of felt like young kids sneaking in and the air was ripe with fresh paint and stain, as artists painstakingly worked on the various exhibits to meet the looming opening date.

Our tour began in Eng and Chang's Siam village as children where we watched a movie about the twins' history. We then moved to an exhibit about their home with an original bed, double chair, and Chang's flute. There is even a replica facade of Chang's home in Mount Airy.

A focal and moving exhibit is the life-size statue of Eng and Chang, which was sculpted by artist Chip Holten of North Carolina artist Frank “Chip” Holton and completed by Carolina Bronze Sculpture in Seagrove.

The different exhibits take you through their lives, and show many artifacts loaned by descendents, including medical records, personal items, and more.

Jones told us that "the museum's overall mission is to tell the story of the Siamese Twins, accurately and with the dignity they sought for both themselves and their families".  

We felt it did that incredibly well.

Admission is $10 and $6 for those ages 12 and younger. Combined admission to the
Siamese Twins Museum and the Andy Griffith Museum are $16 and $10. Hours of operation are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday.

For more information, visit www.SurryArts.org/siamesetwins

Summer Concerts at the Blackmon Amphitheater

Located directly next to the Surry County Arts building is the Blackmon Amphitheater. Beginning at 7:30 on various evenings during the summer, you can experience Summer Concerts at the Amphitheater.  

For 2024, the organizers have scheduled 58 concerts starting in May, including 3 big shows during Mayberry Days in September and free concerts throughout October. These are the real deal too, with CBMA Award winning groups like The Embers, Jim Quick, and Band of Oz, which was the feature act of the night during our visit.

You can also grab some great food and beverages as well. Selected events offer beer and wine from Thirsty Souls Community Brewing, as well as hot dogs, chips, and candy from the Dairy Center. You cannot bring coolers.

Also important to note is that the Ampitheater does not have seating, you'll need to bring your own chair or blanket.

We arrived about 30 minutes before the show began, and sat up near the Siamese Twins Museum at the granite checker tables, which provided a superb view. Soon the Band of Oz came on, and really put on a fantastic show. Within minutes of them starting, people were hitting the dance floor and really enjoying themselves.

There were elderly folks dancing in walkers to young kids barely able to stand "booging down". A few folks on the dance floor were line dancing as well, which was fun to watch.

The music was excellent, and we enjoyed watching everyone have a great time. Based on a recommendation, we grabbed a couple of Sangria's from the Thirsty Soul's tent, and enjoyed those while watching the show. It was really a nice evening and a great way for the community to come together and have a good time.   

Be sure to hit up a Summer Concert at the Blackmon Ampitheater. You will thank us later! For more information, visit the Summer Concerts page.

Grab a World-Famous Pork Chop Sandwich at Snappy Lunch

If you are an Andy Griffith Show fan, you'll likely recall Andy mentioning grabbing lunch at Snappy Lunch during several episodes. In fact, Snappy Lunch is not only an actual business in Mount Airy, but the only actual business mentioned in the entire run of the Andy Griffith show.

Snappy Lunch opened in 1923 and is the oldest operating business in Mount Airy and well known for their "world-famous pork chop sandwich". Snappy Lunch was a popular lunch hangout for locals and students, since it was operational before schools had cafeterias. This included Andy Griffith eating there as a young boy as well.

While lunch is the name, Snappy Lunch serves both breakfast and lunch, and is one of the most popular spots in downtown Mount Airy for both. There is often a line to get in, but it moves fast.

We enjoyed lunch there when we first arrived for our visit to Mount Airy and we loved it. We ordered the world famous pork chop sandwich, which was delicious. The pork chop is cut thin, battered with a unique and almost sweet batter (reminds us of pancake batter), and then topped with a bun and pressed. Delicious and something that you won't find anywhere else.

While there, we also stopped by Floyd's Barbershop, which has an entrance from inside Snappy Lunch.

Snappy Lunch provides the true flavor and culture of Mount Airy, and like Andy Griffith was one of our favorite lunch spots in Mount Airy.

Mayberry Squad Car Tour and Courthouse Visit

If you really want to pretend that you're Sheriff Andy Taylor or Deputy Barney Fife in the Andy Griffith TV Show, head south on main street from downtown just a few blocks. You can't miss Wally's Service Station.

Wally's Service Station is a recreation of the famous service station from the TV show and also has a recreation of the Mayberry Courthouse, complete with a jail, Otis' cell and Andy's famous desk.

You can take photos next to the life-sized Barney Fife cutout, see Gomer and Goober's tow truck, the Mayberry Hotel, the Darling's truck and cabin, and more! Go inside Wally's Service Station for souvenirs and good'ol fashioned snacks and cold sodas as well.

You can get as close as possible to the real Mayberry TV show set at Wally's Service station, since they tore down the original set in Hollywood's Desilu studios many years ago. Wally's is pure Mayberry nostalgia at it's best!

Even better?  

When visiting, you may notice a few old Ford Galaxy Squad cars parked out front. You can even ride in one with Mayberry Squad Car Tours.  

Not only do you get to ride in a replica Mayberry squad car, but you get to take a really interesting tour of Mount Airy, where your tour guide and driver will show and tell you about lots of interesting things around Mayberry, including Andy Griffith's childhood home.

Our squad car tour began with some fast acceleration up Main Street, with full lights and siren. We wanted to yell in our best Barney Fife voice: "I’m the law around here!". Fortunately for our tour guide, we didn't ... but it was tempting!

We drove around town, listening to our tour guide share information about the cars, the town, Andy Griffith, the show and more. We saw the world's largest granite quarry, which is in Mount Airy. Andy Griffith's childhood home, Andy's church, many historic buildings, and much more.

We far too soon arrived back at Wally's and our tour was over. Be sure to tip your guides, they deserve it.

Wally's Service Station and the Squad Car Tour was the highlight of our visit, especially since I'm an old car fanatic and Andy Griffith Show fan.

Our tour guide was friendly, entertaining and full of fun information about Mount Airy, Andy Griffith, and their shared history. This should absolutely be on your short list of things to do when visiting Mount Airy!

Shopping and exploring in downtown Mount Airy

During our visit to Mount Airy NC, we really enjoyed walking around downtown and exploring all the great things to see and do, including shopping in the many Mayberry themed stores. Besides shops, you'll also find many restaurants, a museum, sitting areas, murals, gardens, and even historic sites of interest, such as the Whittling Wall.

Be sure to check out ourguide on our favorite things to do in downtown Mount Airy!

Travel the Sonker Trail a Surry County favorite

If you're like us, when we heard about Sonker, we had no idea what it was. To be honest, it kind of sounded like a card game.

Well, turns out that Sonker (also referred to as Zonker) is a Surry County sweet treat that goes way back in Surry County history. Sonker is like a cobbler, but different.  

How different? Well, traditional cobbler has batter spooned onto the uncooked fruit filling in dollops. Sonker is a thick, almost pancake like batter, poured over the hot, baked fruit base.

Both are cooked in the oven, but Sonker batter is cooked from the bottom by the hot fruit and from the top by the oven. The result is a cobbler like dessert that is kind of a mix of hot fruit with a cake or biscuit.

Bakers from Surry County created these deep-dish fruit based desserts to feed working farmhands. Sonkers are easier to make than cobblers and pies and were easy to scale up to large batches to serve large crowds.

Now with that all said, the differences are subtle, and most would have a difficult time distinguishing a Sonker from a Cobbler to be honest. But they are so delicious, you most likely won't take the time to notice!

Surry County and Mount Airy have a Sonker trail that features several bakeries and restaurants that serve Sonker. We tried two different Sonkers on The Sonker Trail, one at Southern on Main in Elkin NC and at Miss Angel's Heavenly Pies.

Miss Angel's is going to be the most convenient and best place to taste Sonker during your visit to Mount Airy. Much of the fruit is farm fresh from Miss Angel's local farm, and she has tons of different Sonker flavors, made daily.

You can read more about Miss Angel's Heavenly Pies in our Best things to do in Downtown Mount Airy NC Guide.

We really enjoyed the Blackberry and Peach Sonkers from Miss Angel's, and it was even more fantastic coupled with her house made moonshine ice cream!   

Miss Angel's is one of 6 destinations on the Surry County Sonker Trail, and we highly recommend trying as many as you can:

• Anchored Bakery - Mount Airy
• Miss Angel's Heavenly Pies - Mount Airy
• The Tilted Ladder - Pilot Mountain
• Rockford General Store - Dobson
• Southern on Main - Elkin
• Harvest Grill at Shelton Vineyard - Dobson

Visit Mayberry's "hipside" on Market Street

Located a block over from Main Street, you'll find Market Street, or more commonly called Mayberry's Hipside.

Market Street closes to vehicle traffic on weekends, and hosts live music, local vendors, food trucks and more.

On Market Street, you'll also find Thirsty Souls Community Brewing, White Elephant Beer Company, and Kate's Cocktails as well.

During our visit, there was a Juneteenth celebration with multiple delicious looking food trucks, and lots of different vendors selling crafts, cakes, art and more.

We really enjoyed browsing the different booths and talking with the folks running them. One in particular we really liked was Demo's Art Loft run by Geoffrey Walker, where we bought a really nice train drawing. We love supporting local artists.

There was an excellent live band playing that was energetic, fun and very entertaining. We grabbed some beer at White Elephant Beer Company, and enjoyed the music before heading over to Thirsty Souls Community Brewing for some dinner.  

After dinner and some cold brews, we had heard one vendor outside had some amazing cakes for sale. We grabbed a slice of chocolate and strawberry, and they were huge and delicious!

Many people were dancing and having a great time, and it was nice to see different races in the community coming together to share a love for black history, music, dancing, food, and art.

Be sure to stop by Market Street to see what's going on during your visit to Mount Airy. It's definitely "hip".

Enjoy a Ghost Tour with Mount Airy Museum of Regional History - If you dare!

There are more ghosts in Mount Airy than in the Haunted House episode of the Andy Griffith show. At least that's the claim by the tour guides of the Mount Airy Museum of Reginal History' Ghost Tours. If you're into spooky stories and hearing about creepy events, this tour is right up your dark haunted alley!

Your demise ... er, tour, begins in the evening at the Mount Airy Museum of Regional History, located right in downtown Mount Airy. The tour begins in the museum building itself, which has a haunted interesting story, and was once the W.E. Merrit Hardware Store.

Our not so ghostly guide walked us through the closed and dark museum, telling us about the various "odd" events that have occurred over the years as reported by visitors of the museum and employees. Mr. Merrit himself is said to haunt the building, and there have been multiple accounts of unusual noises coming from his old office, which you can see during the tour.

the tour then moves out into the streets of Mount Airy, where multiple old buildings have some spooky, interesting and possibly supernatural history, including the old police station and a building once inhabited by the Mafia (yes, THE mafia).

The building that houses the Old North State Winery was also once and old hardware store. While it's not normally part of the tour, the staff invited us in to see the basement where the barrel room and wine making facilities are located. The employees shared some pretty creepy stories with us about noises and strange happenings there that were difficult to explain.  

While we didn't see any ghosts or any strange happenings during our tour (thankfully), we had fun and enjoyed learning about the history of the various buildings and Mount Airy itself.

If you're looking for something a little different and fun to do in the evening, take a Mount Airy Ghost Tour - If you see any ghosts, let us know!

Get outdoors on the Granite City Greenway

The Granite City Greenway in Mount Airy NC is a great place to get outdoors and be active, yet still be right in town as well.  

The greenway is 8 miles long and divided into 3 sections. When we visited, we did not know it was as large as it is. We visited the Tharrington Park section, which was a little more remote and wooded. 

This well maintained greenway offers lots to do, including bike trails, walking trails, canoe launches, restrooms, picnic tables, playgrounds, and more.  

We really enjoyed walking along the greenway and we saw several others enjoying it as well. There were people out biking, running, and walking, including some families letting their kids ride bikes and run around.

The greenway is a great way to get the kids outside to burn off some energy, or in our case, burn off some of that amazing food we were enjoying during our visit.  

We always appreciate a town or city with a nice greenway to enjoy, as we enjoy being outdoors and getting some exercise.

Visit a Surry County Vineyard for some fantastic wine

Mount Airy is home to several very nice vineyards and wineries on the Surry County Wine Trail, including the largest vineyard in North Carolina, Shelton Vineyards. We visited four different vineyards on the wine trail during our visit:

• Christian Paul Vineyards
• Old North State Vineyards
• Round Peak Vineyards
• Shelton Vineyards

Be sure to check out our experience at this various vineyards in our Best Mount Airy Vineyards Guide - Coming Soon!

Visit Miss Angel's Farm and Orchard

While exploring downtown Mount Airy NC, we smelled ... I mean ... discovered Miss Angel's Heavenly Pies.

After trying some of her amazing hot sonker and a few other delicious treats, including moonshine ice cream, we spent some time talking with Miss Angel and learning more about her bakery and history in Mount Airy.   

Miss Angel invited us to visit her farm if we had time. Fortunately, the next day, we had time, so we drove about 20 minutes out of town to visit the farm where Miss Angel and her husband grow much of the delicious fresh fruit used in her baked goods.

When we arrived at the farm store, Miss Angel's husband, Randy, came to meet us. He showed us around the farm store, where there were fresh peaches, ciders, baked goods, souvenir items, ice cream, drinks and more.

We then headed out into the fields where we met the farm cats and saw the many acres of peach trees, apple trees, berries, pumpkins. On the way there was a large farm themed playground area, some live animals including ducks and peacocks.

The farm is beautiful, including their large Victorian themed home. The highlight of our visit was being able to taste the fresh peaches right off the trees. 

Miss Angel's Farm and Orchard is available for field trips and events, and they hold annual events such as A Hippie Revival, Peach Festival, Oktoberfest, and The Haunting with a haunted trail and corn maze.

Be sure to visit the farm for some fresh fruit, outdoor time, and tons of farm fun. We had a great time.

Travel the Ground Steak Trail

If you're looking for something unique and food related to do, you'll definitely want to experience the Surry County Ground Steak Trail. Ground steak is something you'll only find in Surry County, and trust us, it's different from anything you've ever tried.

Is it good? Well, the jury is still out between Jenn and me (Larry). Jenn didn't care for it at all, where I kind of liked it. To be honest, I would need to try some additional places along the Ground Steak Trail to really make a final decision.

We tried our first Ground Steak sandwich at Central Cafe in Dobson, NC, which is located just a few minutes from Mount Airy. Travis Frye, a Surry county native who grew up eating Ground Steak and is the mastermind behind the Surry County Ground Steak Trail and Festival, joined us. Travis is an expert on Ground Steak, and has tried about every version available, and then some.

You're probably wondering what the heck is Ground Steak exactly? Travis told us all about it.

Ground Steak wasn't what we expected, even with Travis telling us all about it before our plates arrived. Ground Steak history goes back to the great depression of the 1930s, where families needed to stretch out the number of servings from a pound of ground beef.

Travis told us that cooks would brown the ground beef (or ground chuck), add flour, and either water or milk. Then season it with salt and pepper. Then, cooks would loosely press this mixture into a meat patty and place it in a bun. Mayo, fresh tomatoes, slaw, and a side were often used to top it.

Some say it reminds them of a sloppy joe, without the sauce. That was not our experience.

We found it to be more like a loose and less densely packed burger with a soft texture. Travis told us that whether the cook uses water or milk really drives the consistency as well. Milk makes it more solid and dense, with a distinct flavor. Some restaurants on the Ground Steak Trail even have their own secret recipes they refuse to share.

We definitely recommend you try it. Not only will you taste something that you really won't find anywhere else, but you're taking a bite of history as well. You can try the different variations of Ground Steak along the Surry County Ground Steak Trail, which includes:

• Aunt Bea's BBQ of Mount Airy
• Dairy Center - Mount Airy
• Snappy Lunch - Mount Airy
• Speedy Chef of Mount Airy
• Martha Sue's - Mount Airy
• All Sauced Up BBQ - Pilot Mountain
• Aunt Bea's BBQ of Pilot Mountain
• Central Cafe - Dobson
• Rockford General Store - Dobson
• Speedy Chef of Elkin

Visit Nearby Elkin NC

About 20 minutes from Mount Airy, NC, and well worth the drive, is the small mountain town of Elkin, NC. We could only spend about a half day exploring Elkin, but really enjoyed our short visit on a quiet and warm Sunday afternoon.

On the way to see downtown Elkin, we stopped off at Christian Paul Vineyards for a wonderful wine tasting. This fairly new winery has a gorgeous tasting room, built by the owners, that offers indoor and outdoor seating. We really enjoyed their wines and the beautiful views.

After our wine tasting, we drove over to downtown Elkin where we enjoyed walking along the historic streets, which are full of shops, restaurants and small business. You can also see the restored historic Reeves movie theater, which has its original paint blue paint theme. Most of the shops and the Reeve's theater were closed the day we visited.

We walked over behind the theater and found The Rail Yard, a really nice outdoor beer garden. We grabbed some waters and some cold local brews and sat down below the tree canopy in the shade and enjoyed the beautiful day. Many others were doing the same.   

The Rail Yard offers food and drinks, and has several seating options from picnic tables to lawn chairs. The beer garden is really well done and makes for a great place to relax and hang out with friends.

The name comes from the fact it's next to the Yadkin Valley Railroad. Being a railroad fan, I enjoyed exploring the tracks a little and taking photos of the engine and the old girder bridge.

We hung out at The Rail Yard until it was time for our dinner at Southern on Main, which was absolutely fantastic and highly recommended.