The Andy Griffith Museum is a museum dedicated to the life and career of American actor, television producer, and singer Andy Griffith. The museum, which houses the world's largest collection of Andy Griffith memorabilia, is located in Griffith's hometown of Mount Airy, North Carolina. Much of the museum's collection was acquired by Griffith's friend and the founder of Andy Griffith Museum, Emmett Forrest. The facility opened to the public on September 26, 2009.Location and buildingThe Andy Griffith Museum is located in Mount Airy, North Carolina, 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 Emmett Forrest, 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.CollectionEmmett Forrest's donated an extensive collection of Andy Griffith memorabilia, 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.
