Roadside Attractions: Wally's Service Station and Mayberry Courthouse - Mt Airy, NC

Wally's Service Station

and 

Mayberry Courthouse

Mt. Airy, NC

N 36° 29.770 W 080° 36.184

Short Description: 

Wally's Service Station and Mayberry Courthouse are prominent sites in the fictional town of Mayberry, NC featured in the Andy Griffith Show. Their counterparts in Mt. Airy, NC are located at 625 South Main Street.

Long Description:

The town of Mt. Airy, NC was the inspiration for the fictional town of Mayberry, NC, the setting for the Andy Griffith Show. Andy grew up in Mt. Airy and actually frequented many of the establishments featured on the show.

As a boy Andy Griffith would visit Wally's Service Station to buy a snack or a soda. The real service station was built at its current site in 1937. In 2001 it was converted into a tourist attraction. In the Andy Griffith Show Goober Pyle worked at Wally's Service Station. He later purchased and ran establishment. Goober was played by actor George Lindsey. Parked outside the Service Station was a black tow truck used by Wally's Service Station and driven by Goober.

Adjacent to Wally's Service Station is the Mayberry Courthouse. This existing building was modified to resemble the courthouse featured on the Andy Griffith Show. As a tourist attraction the interior re-creates the Mayberry jail and Sheriff Andy's office, complete with desk. Attached to the courthouse is Emmett's Fix-It shop. Emmett was a later addition to the show who was the handyman in Mayberry, Emmett Clark, portrayed by actor Paul Hartman. Of interest is the Mayberry Taxi Cab Company vehicle is parked outside Emmett's Fix-It shop.