A museum in Mt. Airy that celebrates a television icon is open to the public after undergoing an extensive renovation.
The Andy Griffith Museum takes visitors on more than just a stroll down memory lane in Mayberry.
The more than half a million dollar renovation pays tribute to the actor's legacy and Mt. Airy roots. Griffith, who died in 2012, grew up near the site.
He's best known for playing Sheriff Andy Taylor on "The Andy Griffith Show" in the 1960s. Museum-goers can visit Mayberry's storefronts, see the famous Snappy Lunch, check out Floyd's Barber Shop or stop at Emmett's Fix-It Shop.
Tanya Jones, executive director of the Surry Arts Council, says every square inch of the museum has been transformed.
“We have clips from 'The Andy Griffith Show,' 'Matlock' and 'Return To Mayberry' and the courthouse audio visual station, so there are a lot of opportunities to get information about Andy Griffith's career.
Several artifacts from the set of Mayberry and Griffith's career are also on display.
“One of the last things that he did was the music video with country singer Brad Paisley. After Andy passed away, his wife Cindi sent us the white suit that he wore in the music video ‘Waiting For a Woman,' so we are very excited to have that on display.”
The museum is filled with a thousand or more pieces of memorabilia, most of which were donated by the late Emmett Forrest, a longtime friend of Griffith's.
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