Esse Purse Museum & Store

"Definitely one of the coolest museums I visited in Little Rock. This museum is the only purse museum in the US. I spent almost two hours reading and browsing each display. The staff has each display set up by decades. It’s not just about purses but also about history. Highly recommend stopping here for an hour or two."

"After visiting the purse museum in Amsterdam, I was excited to see another exhibit. Unfortunately, I learned from Marley the other museum closed during the pandemic. The Esse didn't disappoint though. I read almost every word; expect to spend at least an hour here if skimming. The Soma temporary exhibit provided local history which was meaningful as it was my first time visiting the area. The gift store was an exhibit of its own. I definitely plan on returning with friends."

"This was the most interesting display of women throughout history. Shown by the design and use of women's purses and their contents. Each display is by the decade with a written explanation. My husband and I spent 3 hours in there, we were shocked at how long we stayed when we came out. Allow at least an hour. We read everything."

"Very cool small museum the centers women and the significance of their accessories. Annaleah was the kindest and most knowledgeable guide, she even helped me pick a gift for my niece. I was impressed by the quality and range of the resident collection."

"A fantastic collection of purses. You will be overwhelmed at the quality of examples of the beautiful pieces of arm candy artwork throughout this entire museum. If you enjoy novelty purses your heart will sing when you see their selection. The store, itself, has a selection of standard purses - some are interesting and some are very generic - well worth checking out."