The Andy Griffith Museum is a museum dedicated to the life and career of American actor, television producer, and singer

Andy Griffith Andy Samuel Griffith (June 1, 1926 – July 3, 2012) was an American actor, comedian, television producer, southern gospel singer and writer whose career spanned seven decades in music and television. Known for his Southern drawl, his characte ...

. The museum, which houses the world's largest collection of Andy Griffith

memorabilia A souvenir (), memento, keepsake, or token of remembrance is an object a person acquires for the memories the owner associates with it. A souvenir can be any object that can be collected or purchased and transported home by the traveler as a m ...

, is located in Griffith's hometown of

Mount Airy, North Carolina Mount Airy is a city in Surry County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 10,611. History Mount Airy was settled in the 1750s as a stagecoach stop on the road between Winston-Salem, North Carolina an ...

. Much of the museum's collection was acquired by Griffith's friend and the founder of Andy Griffith Museum,

Emmett Forrest William Emmett Forrest, Jr. (September 3, 1927 – January 12, 2013) was an American pop culture collector, museum founder, and longtime friend of actor Andy Griffith. Forrest was an extensive collector of memorabilia spanning Griffith's career. H ...

. The facility opened to the public on September 26, 2009.

Location and building

The Andy Griffith Museum is located in Mount Airy,

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

, a half-mile from Griffith's childhood home. The 2,500-square-feet, which cost approximately $500,000 to construct, is adjacent to the Andy Griffith Playhouse. The museum founder, the late

, a lifelong friend of Griffith's since elementary school, planned the museum with the Surry Arts Council for more than twenty-five years. The Andy Griffith Museum was opened on September 26, 2009. A$600,000 upgrade of the museum, with funding that included $200,000 from the city, was completed in 2017.

Collection

Emmett Forrest donated an extensive collection of Andy Griffith

, which forms the basis for the museum's permanent exhibition. The Surry Arts Council did not actually own the collection until after Forrest's death in 2013, at which time the estate turned over the collection. Many of the artifacts were in poor condition and the museum made efforts to preserve the items and keep them in good shape. Personal items on exhibit includes a rocking chair that Andy Griffith's father, Carl Griffith, made for his mother, Geneva. A large portion of the museum includes pieces from the sets of ''

The Andy Griffith Show ''The Andy Griffith Show '' is an American situation comedy television series that aired on CBS from October 3, 1960, to April 1, 1968, with a total of 249 half-hour episodes spanning eight seasons—159 in black and white and 90 in color. The ...

'', which aired from 1960 to 1968, and the '' Matlock'' television series. The museum also houses objects related to actress

Betty Lynn Elizabeth Ann Theresa Lynn (August 29, 1926 – October 16, 2021) was an American actress. She played Thelma Lou, Deputy Barney Fife's girlfriend, on ''The Andy Griffith Show''. During the 1940s and 1950s, she appeared in many films, including ...

(now deceased), who played Barney’s girlfriend and lived in Mount Airy, and the late

Don Knotts Jesse Donald Knotts (July 21, 1924February 24, 2006) was an American actor and comedian. He is widely known for his role as Deputy Sheriff Barney Fife on ''The Andy Griffith Show'', a 1960s sitcom for which he earned five Emmy Awards. He also ...

References

External links

The Andy Griffith Museum
{{DEFAULTSORT:Andy Griffith Museum Museums established in 2009

Griffith Griffith may refer to: People * Griffith (name) * Griffith (surname) * Griffith (given name) Places Antarctica * Mount Griffith, Ross Dependency * Griffith Peak (Antarctica), Marie Byrd Land * Griffith Glacier, Marie Byrd Land * Griffith Rid ...

Museums in Surry County, North Carolina 2009 establishments in North Carolina