Thrifting Guide to Western Connecticut
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*Please keep in mind thrift stores are quick to close or change hours, I will do my best to update this guide, but always check before going. I recommend giving them a call to confirm.
La la la la la
Can you hear the Gilmore Girls music playing? It’s hard not to when you drive through Connecticut, especially in the fall!
The end of 2022 I had two occasions to road trip through the western half of Connecticut and I couldn’t resist adding a bit of thrifting to my itinerary. While I only was able to stop at a few of the spots I had on my list, it quickly became one of my favorite states I’ve thrifted through so far! While the stores aren’t super close to each other (on average I drove 15-20 from town to town) I found the pricing and selection to be good at most of them!
I have only visited a small number of the thrift stores on this map, so I can’t vouch for them all, but I wanted to share all the ones I could find to make it easy if you’re planning a trip. Read on for ones I did visit.
Bethlehem Flea Market
Bethlehem, CT // Website // Map Link
wowowow! This place was by far my favorite. If you are driving through the area and only have time to stop at one, this is it. But be warned, you’ll probably run out of time. I could have easily spent the entire day here.
When you pull up it feels like you’re pulling into someone’s backyard. There’s a big garage with a sign pointing you in. Honestly, it feels a bit sketchy. I wasn’t sure what I was getting myself into when I showed up, but as soon as I opened the door I knew it was going to be good.
The building is like the Mary Poppin’s bag – it doesn’t seem that big from the outside, but once you’re in it feels like it goes on forever! They are also one of the more organized secondhand stores I’ve been to. There are sections for just about everything. The prices overall were good. Some of the nicer pieces are priced higher (but still fair in my opinion), but there are plenty of great deals to be had.
Know before you go: The Bethlehem Flea Market is only open Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays*
Deer Hill Thrift Shop
Danbury, CT // Map Link
Located in the basement of the First Congressional Church of Danbury, you really have to know about this one to find it! Pull into the parking lot of the church and around to the side and you’ll see the little sign and stairs leading down. As of the time I’m writing this, it’s only open on Saturdays, and you may want to call the church to double check before making the trek out.
This is what I think of as a classic church thrift store (and I mean that in the best way!) it’s winding, and easy to miss whole rooms, but there is some good stuff in there and I felt like the prices were great. I wouldn’t say it’s worth the trip on it’s own, but if you’ll be in the area when they’re open then it’s a fun one to stop in!
Thrift Mart of New Milford
New Milford is a busier area than a lot of the other towns I stopped in, so this was one of the busiest stores I visited. It was tough at times because some of the rooms and hallways are really tight. I would recommend going on an off-time if you’re able, just so you can see things a bit easier!
I did find some cute homewares, and they had a decent looking clothing section. The prices were good, although I kept coming across things that weren’t tagged (although at the counter they didn’t have trouble giving me prices, all of which I felt were good, so not a big deal!). I definitely would visit again if I was already coming through New Milford, but I don’t think I would go out of my way to stop in.
Red Barn Thrift Shop
Woodbury, CT // Map Link
Spanning a full house and a barn, this is a fun one. I found some really good treasures in the titular Red Barn. The house is a little more organized and feels a bit like an antique store, but was also enjoyable to browse.
The Barn itself is fairly small and packed full, so it can be a little hard to see everything, especially if there are other people also browsing. It’s one of those spaces so full that you need to do a few laps before you feel like you’re not missing anything major.
Unrelated, but there is a great cafe called Split Rail just two doors down if you go – I highly recommend! The staff was so kind and the soup I had was absolutely divine.
Still on my list
Of course, I didn’t get to hit every spot on my list. With limited time I decided to focus my efforts on more locally owned thrift stores (I feel like I find the best treasures there!), but there are also plenty of Goodwills, Salvation Armys, and Savers in western Connecticut if you are planning a trip.
There were also a few local ones I didn’t get to, that you can bet I’ll be checking out next time I roll through:
- New Canaan Thrift Shop
- Cornerstone Thrift Center in Newtown, CT
- New Fairfield Community Thrift Shop
- Southbury Training Schools Thrift Shop
- VNA Northwest Thrift Shop in New Preston, CT
- Hand to Hand Thrift Store in Bristol, CT
- Upper Room Thrift Shop in Southbury, CT
Honorable mention: The Hunt
New Milford, CT // Website // Map Link
This is an actual antique shop. It’s clean, well stocked, and beautifully curated, and as such the prices reflect that. I did feel like the prices were reasonable for an antique store, but if you’re exclusively looking for the deals, this is not the place.
I had lunch across the street and decided to just go in to do some browsing, and I really enjoyed it. I didn’t end up getting anything but it did add some things to my list to be on the look out for while thrifting! If you’re in the area and want a little “palette cleanser” between stuffed and messy thrift stores, this is a great spot to check out!
