ESSE Purse Museum & Store — Attraction in Little Rock

This Museum Is So Magical, It Throws Shade at Your Clueless Carry-On! ✨

​Listen up, fellow travelers: you think you've seen it all? Think again. The ESSE Purse Museum & Store in Little Rock isn't just a place to look at bags; it’s a full-on masterclass in style, history, and pure, unadulterated female energy.

​This museum is so magical, I almost expected to see Amelia Earhart’s flight bag! From the tiny, beaded flapper purses of the 1920s to the bold, structured bags of the 1940s, this place tells a whole story. It’s the visual history of women's liberation, one handbag at a time.

The vintage Pan Am satchels and the rhinestone-studded fans tell a tale of a woman who wanted more than just a place in the home—she wanted the entire world.

​This isn't just a museum; it's a history lesson. It’s a sassy, chic reminder that what a woman carries tells you everything about where she’s been and where she’s going. So, go ahead. I dare you to find a more iconic collection. You won't. ​ ​#ESSEPurseMuseum 👜 ​#LittleRockAR 💁‍♀️ ​#ArkansasHistory #ARkansas #MuseumLife 🏛️ ​#PursePower 💅 ​#VintageVibes 😎 ​#TravelStyle ✈️ ​#WomensHistory 👑 ​#SassyAndChic...

If you want to understand our social history through our artifacts, this is one of those wonderful small museums you should visit. Well worth the $10 and about an hour of your time.

Excels at presenting purses in context with great period accessories and well-done writeups. This is not just a "fashion" (or pop culture) museum, though certainly that is part of it, but one that should get you thinking, as a writeup for a concurrent art display notes, about how purses have long been part of their owners' personality and psyche.

The only drawback is that the display ends with the 1990s. As we get farther from that decade, the exhibit begins to miss some important recent developments.

I hope they can find the space and resources to curate that. But, still, it's well worth your time to explore it (and the funky little South Main...

I was not sure what to expect from looking at purses, but this place is FABULOUS and not to be missed! Think of it as a museum of women's history from 1900 to 1999 as see through fashion, purses, and what women carried in their purses. The displays are mostly by decade and are beautifully organized, diverse, and easy to see. Descriptions of each decade are well written and informative. My sister and I were fascinated by the decades before we were alive and laughed once we saw the displays for the years since we've been alive as we related to and relived our purses. The shop has a wide variety of beautiful purses to purchase along with a few hats, scarves, and jewelry. If you are near Little Rock, do not miss the...