The Andy Griffith Museum in Mount Airy, N.C., will host actress Betty Lynn – better known as Thelma Lou – in monthly appearances this year, starting Friday.
Lynn, who played Barney Fife’s love interest on “The Andy Griffith Show” from 1961 to 1965, will meet fans, discuss her role on the show and sign autographs. She will return the third Friday of every month from 12:30 to 5 p.m.
The museum offered a partial schedule of appearances by Lynn last year. The response was so positive that it’s been expanded to a full 12 months this year.
“It’s a real treat for the fans, and we’ve been very pleased with the large turnout on those days,” said Tanya Jones, who oversees the museum as director of the Surry Arts Council. “The popularity of ‘The Andy Griffith Show’ is timeless, so folks love meeting one of the stars.”
Lynn relocated to Mount Airy from Los Angeles in 2007 after falling in love with the town during visits to the annual Mayberry Days festival. Mount Airy is Griffith’s hometown and served as inspiration for the show’s fictional hamlet of Mayberry.
“People come from all over the country, and it’s been really nice meeting them. They have been so sweet to me,” Lynn said in a news release. “They enjoy the museum and the wonderful collection of memorabilia from Andy’s life, as well as items from other actors on the show.”
The museum is at 218 Rockford St., next door to the Andy Griffith Playhouse and a half-mile from the actor’s boyhood home. It houses a treasure-trove of items collected by curator Emmett Forrest, a schoolmate and close friend of Griffith’s.
Admission to the museum is $3 per person. Lynn will autograph 8-by-10 glossy photos for $10 apiece.
For more information, call 336-786-7998 or visit www.AndyGriffithMuseum.com or www.VisitMayberry.com.