The best book, hobby & craft shops in Stratford

4 book, hobby & craft shops we’ve checked and stand behind — with the story on each one. Not a ranking; a record.

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Hobbies, Books, & Crafts · 4 places · showing the latest additions first

Mermaid Books

Hobbies, Books, & Crafts

Mermaid Books is the cozy, community-first shop Milford’s been waiting for, with shelves for every reader, loads of kids’ picks, plus book…

22 Broad St (Milford)

“Mermaid Books is the cozy, community-first shop Milford’s been waiting for, with shelves for every reader, loads of kids’ picks, plus book clubs, author talks, storytime, and a no-pressure write club. They’ll order what you’re after or set you up with audiobooks.”

From the Milford newsletter, August 29, 2026

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Route 1 Guitars

Hobbies, Books, & Crafts

Whether your frets are buzzing, your kid needs a school rental, or you just want to try a new pedal, Route 1 Guitars has you covered with…

189 Bridgeport Ave (Milford)

“Whether your frets are buzzing, your kid needs a school rental, or you just want to try a new pedal, Route 1 Guitars has you covered with repairs, setups, private lessons, and plenty of guitars, amps, and accessories. Fun fact, a Chang Can Dunk scene was filmed right in the shop.”

From the Stratford newsletter, September 18, 2026

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Stay Tuned

Hobbies, Books, & Crafts

If your electric or acoustic is buzzing, crackly, or just tired, Stay Tuned does clean setups, fret and electronics work, body and bridge…

858 Freeman Ave

“If your electric or acoustic is buzzing, crackly, or just tired, Stay Tuned does clean setups, fret and electronics work, body and bridge repairs, and the kind of quiet TLC that wakes up tone.”

From the Trumbull newsletter, September 13, 2026

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The Archive

Hobbies, Books, & Crafts

Need a weekend rabbit hole? The Archive is Bridgeport’s movies, music and culture shop stocked with new and used DVDs, Blu-rays, VHS,…

118 Congress St (Bridgeport)

“Need a weekend rabbit hole? The Archive is Bridgeport’s movies, music and culture shop stocked with new and used DVDs, Blu-rays, VHS, LaserDisc and records, perfect for upgrading movie night or finding that oddball soundtrack you swore only existed on tape.”

From the Bridgeport newsletter, September 10, 2026

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