Do you like shiny, sparkly things? Me, too! Do you like supporting the arts? Same. Do you like history? Obviously same. Do you like supporting local museums? I hope you said yes….Boy oh boy, do I have the place for you even if you only answered yes to one of those questions.
The brand new Museum of Costume Jewelry in Downtown Asheville checks all of those boxes and more! Make an afternoon of a visit by parking at the parking deck by Pack Library and checking out some of my local favorites like Moonlight Makers and Malaprops on your way to the museum. Bonus points if you stop by the library, too! Our public library system was the subject of the first post on this series. For reference, the museum is right across from Thomas Wolfe Auditorium on Haywood Street.
At this time, the museum is open 11-5 everyday but Wednesdays. Unlike the library, this museum is not free. There’s a reason! The collection is remarkable! When I visited, admission was $12 and I would have paid double to stand there in awe staring at the aforementioned shiny, sparkly things.
The museum is so new it opened in March 2026 and had a ribbon cutting ceremony in early April. I had been following the museum for a while on Instagram waiting (impatiently) for it to open and I checked it out at the end of March before that ribbon was even cut! Worth. the. wait.
I went on a Friday afternoon since I get off work at 1:30. Pro Tip: Don’t get so excited you go without eating lunch. You’ll end up overstimulated by the beautiful exhibits, hangry, and get lost in the parking deck trying to find your car. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
The hours/location info are a little tricky to find on the website, so I’ll go ahead and share that here for you to save for later: https://museumofcostumejewelry.com/mission
Once again, it was definitely worth the wait! I happened to be wearing an Oak Ridge, TN shirt. The founder, Sharon Ryback, greeted me when I arrived and asked if I was visiting from Tennessee. When I explained that no, I was local and just a huge WWII nerd she took me straight to the WWII EXHIBIT!!!!! It had been a while since I had been to a museum and that alone made my WWII Nerd heart so happy! The home front effort and WWII era in general fascinates me way more than battlefield strategy. When I visited National WWII Museum in New Orleans, I really fell in love with the home front stuff and ended up buying this book about Bakelite jewelry! I was happy to already know a little about that!
This exhibit features such special pieces and I spent a long time reading the signs and taking photos of them. After that I clicked back to the beginning of the museum. Pieces are arranged by eras and there are literally hundreds of items to look at. Some of the items belonged to celebrities and others were used in films or worn on the runway for fashion shows!
I am just including a snippet of the pieces because I want you to visit and check them out yourself! We could be here all day with me sharing my entire album anyways.
My first question is always about if there is a gift shop! There is. It’s not your typical trinket kind of gift shop. There are pieces of jewelry, books, and Murano glass pieces for sale. True story I’d never heard of Murano glass but I sure thought it was pretty so I bought a tiny piece and a book. The book itself is art.
The exhibits are just the beginning for the museum. I know they intend to expand and have lots more offerings. I’m excited to see it evolve! For now, it’s important we support it! Follow them on social media and definitely visit! Great place to take out of town visitors! Small children not so much. Just my two cents. The library across the street would be perfect for them of course. Speaking of, check out some of my other Asheville area posts below!
