Making a Pilgrimage to "Mayberry"
CHETRY: You didn't just accidentally switch to TV land. This is still</s>CNN. ROMANS: That's pretty good. He is such a multitalented guy.</s>ROMANS: I have to tell you behind the scenes, we have this going on. We have Rob behind camera one playing his harmonica. Piano man, perfect. I mean this is great.</s>VELSHI: There is some news associated with this. I am not just whistling. You have all seen the "Andy Griffith Show". I'm not even going to say maybe you've never seen the "Andy Griffith Show". But I bet we can all whistle the theme.</s>ROMANS: When you hear the theme music, you know what it is. The popularity of the show is saving one town, that's known as the real life Mayberry. Tom Foreman is live in Mount Airy, North Carolina with "Building up America." Good morning, Tom. Can you whistle it?</s>TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to all of you. Let me tell you something. I was so excited riding into this town. Never been here before but I recognize street names. I recognize people. I recognize shop names, all sorts of things. And that's the whole point because this place resonates with people all over the country. And that's become a key for building up this town in difficult times. Take a look.</s>FOREMAN: Every day, tourists poor through Mt. Airy, stopping in shops, taking pictures, remembering the magic of a fictional town whose theme song still plays on Main Street.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. It's right down here.</s>FOREMAN: Andy Griffith grew up here and based much of his hit TV show on this town.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I am going to put my name and the date on here and years from now, when we are all dead and gone, and Mayberry's a big city, people will know that I burned my name into a piece of wood on this here day.</s>FOREMAN: The show's 50-year history is well documented at this popular new museum where a lifelong friend of Griffith, Emmet Forrest is the chief collector.</s>EMMETT FORREST, FRIEND OF ANDY GRIFFITH: My very favorite items from the collection are the signs from the door of the courthouse.</s>FOREMAN: The museum drew more than 50,000 people in its first year. And in the annual Mayberry Festival and landmarks like Griffith's childhood home and it is all driving $85 million in annual tourism for the county.</s>FORREST: It has saved Mt. Airy. We have lost about 4,000 jobs due to textile plants and the furniture factories going offshore. So tourism is about what we have left.</s>FOREMAN: Many visitors come back time and again. Some, like Betty Lynn, from Los Angeles moved here.</s>BETTY LYNN, ACTRESS: I go to the grocery store and people walk up and hug me and kiss me.</s>FOREMAN: of course, she is a special case. She played Barney's girlfriend, Thelma Lou.</s>LYNN: We knew it was a wonderful show and we loved doing it but we didn't really know that across America, how much it would mean to people all through these years, 50 years. Can you believe it?</s>FOREMAN: Almost no one can. Five decades after the make-believe Mayberry captured America's hearts, it has become the life's blood of this very real town.</s>FOREMAN: This is such a great destination for travelers in this country. The museum is fascinating. So many great things. There are items from Andy's desk, the keys from the jail cell. It is unbelievable. Andy Griffith still lives in North Carolina, far away. He supports the local effort, in large part, because it supports the local arts council. He doesn't get here very often, but I'll tell you this, guys, the ghost of Andy Taylor is roaming these streets every single day. It is really a charming, charming town and a great story of success that they have built here.</s>CHETRY: All right. Tom Foreman, another charming story on the CNN.</s>VELSHI: Enjoy your lunch at the snappy lunch over --</s>FOREMAN: It's a great lunch for a good price. You have to come on in.</s>ROMANS: We have to lift our way to Carol Costello at the CNN Center in Atlanta. Hi there.</s>VELSHI: "CNN NEWSROOM" starts right now. Carol.