Bench Shop

Great selection of pipes, papers, jewelry, costumes, incense, and you get the drift. Met Frank, who has owned the business for over 50 years and still loves to go to work everyday. I recommend a visit. Worth the trip.

The Bench Shop is the one place in CT I can count on for special fx contact lenses. I was just in here to pick up some white out lenses for Halloween. Their lenses run $ 30-​$ 50, which is not bad at all for this type of one time wear (two if they aren’t in long the first time) lens. You won’t find sclera or other very fancy lenses, but they have a decent selection of colors that work well for basic costuming and fx.
They also had a great selection of cards, and I picked a couple up just to have on hand.
Since they are located on Main St., parking can be squirrely if you can’t find a spot on the street, but I have never really had a problem with it. They also have very odd hours, and close at 5:30pm, so if you need something, don’t think you can show up after dinner to grab it.
I definitely recommend this place for anyone who needs a reliable place in CT to grab basic special fx lenses.