My mom, step-dad, and I had watched The Andy Griffith Show years ago and my daughter had watched a few episodes, so I thought it might be fun to pack up and head to Mt. Airy for a squad car tour. Andy Griffith was born and grew up in Mt. Airy. Mayberry, the fictional town setting of the 1960's sitcom, is based on many places from the real life town in North Carolina.
The squad car tours fittingly start on Main Street. We arrived early in the morning on a hot and humid July day, which was a good idea because the tour has an authentic vibe featuring squad cars that are Ford Galaxies with models ranging from 1961 to 1967. That means no air conditioning except for the wind rushing through the hand cranked open windows when we got up a little speed on the road!
We had a short wait, but more people were coming as we began the tour, so I recommend reservations or an early morning arrival. We visited on the 4th of July, so the squad car tours may have been busier than usual due to the holiday. The price currently on their web site is $50/carload with up to four people/group riding per car.
The driver was knowledgeable and offered quite a bit of information about the town as we passed various locations. It was interesting to make connections to Andy Griffith and the famous TV show as we passed by various businesses and Andy's unassuming childhood home.
We slowed down and even stopped at a few locations to get some still shots during the tour. I didn't know before planning for this trip that Mt. Airy is home to the world's largest open faced granite quarry, and we had the opportunity to stop, take pictures, and learn more while sitting in the quarry parking lot.
One of my personal favorite sites of the tour was seeing a nice collage-style painting of five different phases of Andy Griffith's life and career on the wall of Surrey Bank and Trust. Pilot Mountain is also depicted in the painting, with a nod to the North Carolina landmark that also has ties to the show. The driver said he enjoyed driving by as the Greensboro artist, Jex, rapidly spray painted the mural in May 2022 in time for Andy's 96th birthday.
In addition to photos from inside the car, the driver let us take a few photos outside of the squad car at the conclusion of the tour. He was quite nice and did not act rushed even though I'm sure it was going to be a busy day for the tour.
After the tour, we walked around and visited the "old" jail and courthouse, looked at a tow truck, and checked out a small house made to look like the Darlins' old homestead. The town also boasts a museum dedicated to Andy Griffith. The ages for my group ranged from retirement age to teenage with three generations, and everyone said they found the tour interesting.
Since our trip was on a hot summer day that was also a holiday, quite a few businesses were closed, but people taking the tour might also opt to visit a restaurant in downtown Mt. Airy. If interested in adding a walking tour, I would suggest walking a few blocks to take a longer look at the wall mural and to drive and visit the museum.
Visit the official Mt. Airy Squad Car Tours website for tour details and additional information.
You might also like to read more of my articles, including:
- Pilot Mountain State Park's Little Pinnacle Overlook Trail Offers Beautiful View with Little Effort
- Old Salem Tour of Single Brothers' House in Winston-Salem NC
