Andy Griffith Show and Mayberry Filming Locations in Southern California that You Can Visit

"The Andy Griffith Show" is arguably one of the most successful TV shows of all time. For over forty years, the show has never been off the air, and it remains one of the most popular programs on TV Land.

And while you may not be able to visit the fictional Mayberry, it is possible for fans to visit many of the locations where the show was filmed.

The first stop on a visit to Southern California's Mayberry is the Cahuenga Studios in Hollywood. Now called Witt-Thomas Studio, it was on this tiny gathering of sound stages that all of the interior shots for "The Andy Griffith Show" were filmed. The courthouse set was here, as was the Taylor living room, the interior of Floyd's Barber Shop, Barney's Room, etc. "The Andy Griffith Show" was filmed in Sound Stage One, the sound stage that sits on the very northeast corner of the property. A bit of trivia: this was the very same sound stage where much of "I Love Lucy" was filmed. Other classic TV shows filmed on the Cahuenga lot included "Gomer Pyle," "The Dick Van Dyke Show" and "Hogan's Heroes." More recently, "Ally McBeal" was filmed here.

The former Cahuenga Studio is located at 2121 Cahuenga in Hollywood. Although not officially open to the public, (it is still a working production lot), it is possible to view some of the sound stages from the edges of property. If the main gate on Cahuenga looks familiar, it's because it was used as the gate of the fictional "Belmont Studios" when the Taylor family visited Hollywood. This same gate was also the entrance to the Marine Base in the pilot episode of "Gomer Pyle." Unfortunately, most other traces of Mayberry are now gone. But it doesn't take too much imagination to picture Andy Griffith, Don Knotts and Ron Howard milling around the set, waiting for their next call.

Another "Andy Griffith Show" location is the former Forty Acres back lot site, located just to the south of Higuera Street near the Culver Studios in Culver City, California. This was site of Main Street Mayberry, as well as Wally's Filling Station, the Taylor home exterior and virtually every other Mayberry building. The Forty Acres back lot had a long history. It was used for several scenes in "Gone With The Wind," and many vintage TV shows including "Star Trek," "Gomer Pyle," "Batman," "Superman," etc., etc. The area is now an office park. Although all of the back lot buildings are gone, the small street that runs through the property sits very near the spot of the Mayberry Main Street. At the intersection of Higuera and Hayden Place, you are very near the site of the original Mayberry Courthouse.

A final must stop for any Mayberry fan is the lake where the famous opening shot of Andy and Opie walking to the Fishin' Hole was filmed. This spot is located in the Franklin Canyon Reservoir, along the western edge of the tiny lake that still occupies the property. (You should be able to find exact driving directions by doing an internet search.) The area is now a public park, and it is still easy to imagine Andy and Opie strolling down the path, fishing poles in hand, with the theme song playing in the background. The lake looks much different today (there is not much water left in the spot where Opie threw the rock into the lake), but it is probably the most authentic Mayberry site you will find. Even though the park is situated in the heart of Los Angeles, it is very easy to imagine yourself at a small lake in the North Carolina hill country.

We may not be able to visit the real Mayberry, but a visit to these sites will remind you of a simpler time and place. Long live Mayberry!