December 17, 2024

At FDR Park, you can take a private sauna this winter outside the American Swedish museum

Wooden barrels that sit up to four people can be reserved from Dec. 26 to March 29. A 45-minute session costs $120 to $150.

By Michaela Althouse
PhillyVoice Staff

Provided Image/Scout

Outdoor saunas, shown in the rendering above, can be rented at the American Swedish Historical Museum from Dec. 26 through March 29 as part of an event that promotes the Sauna is Life exhibit on display at the museum.

If you've ever had the urge to strip down for a sweat session and follow it up with a Nordic cultural lesson, the time has finally come.

The American Swedish Historical Museum at FDR Park will have outdoor saunas on its terrace from Dec. 26 to March 29. For $120, groups of four can step inside a private barrel and spend 45 minutes soaking up the heat before heading inside the museum.

MORE: Museum of the American Revolution to offer family-friendly activities throughout winter break

The Ebba Sparra Sauna Collective was created by Scout, the developer behind the Bok building, in honor of the Sauna is Life exhibit on display at the museum.

Saunas date back thousands of years in Sweden and Finland, where people would dig pits into the ground, add stones heated by campfires and throw water on them to create steam. The museum's event is named after Ebba Sparre, a lady-in-waiting and possible lover of Queen Christina of Sweden, who reigned from 1644-1654.

Sauna reservations are available Tuesdays through Thursdays from 10 a.m to 4 p.m., Fridays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on weekends from noon to 6 p.m. Reservations include free admission to the American Swedish Historical Museum.

Each person is given a complimentary towel, compostable swimsuit bag and access to a storage locker after checking in at the museum. Swimsuits must be worn in the saunas – no nudity is allowed – and towels, robes or other clothing must be worn when walking from the bathrooms to the sauna. Waterproof sandals are recommended, too.

Sauna hats, sheet masks and other merchandise is available for purchase, and water stations are placed throughout the area.

Sessions last 45 minutes and cost $120 to $150 for up to four people. Extended, 90-minute steams are available for $200. Scout has pledged to donate 10% of the event's proceeds to the museum.