The weather outside may be frightful, but a sauna feels so delightful! Although spending some time in a sauna does the mind and body good any time of the year, there is no better way to weather a Minnesota winter than by sweating it out with friends. Fortunately, if you’re in the Rochester area, you’ll find plenty of places to sauna in southeastern Minnesota, from waterfront hideaways and luxury retreats to private rental saunas you can have delivered to your home.
Why Sauna?
Saunas are more than just a place to warm up after hanging out in a swimming pool or shed toxins after a workout. Did you know that they’re also at the heart of healing social and spiritual rituals that span centuries and cultures the world over? Keep reading for why you should add some sauna time to your list of winter traditions.
For the Warmth
I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but Minnesota winters are COLD, y’all. I’m talking about temperatures that freeze your nose hairs and turn your throat to ice every time you take a breath. Saunas? Not so much.
Whether heated by wood, steam, gas, electricity, or infrared lamps, saunas can climb to temperatures between 120° to 220° Fahrenheit. The sweet spot for maximum health benefits is around 175°F to 185°F. However, beginners should always begin on the lower end of things—150°F is a good place to start—and they work their way up as tolerance improves. Best of all, not only does sauna time keep your body toasty warm, but using a sauna’s heat and the winter cold together synergistically results in even more health perks than a sauna alone.
For the Physical and Mental Health Benefits
The benefits of sauna bathing are more than skin-deep, and soaking up the heat does more than just heat your body. It also sets off a powerful chain of reactions that have a positive effect on everything from circulation and muscle recovery to sleep and mood. Evidence from the Mayo Clinic and other health research suggests that the high temperature causes your heart rate to increase and your body to sweat, and the release of anti-inflammatory agents, similar to what happens during exercise.
This results in a host of physical health benefits, like improved cardiorespiratory health, a boosted immune system, reduced oxidative stress, lessened joint pain and quicker muscle recovery. In other words, those who sauna bathe regularly get over illnesses faster and are less likely to experience cardiovascular, neurocognitive and pulmonary diseases. Rotating between a hot sauna soak for 10 to 15 minutes and a dip in an ice bath or cold shower (or a frozen-over lake) for three to seven minutes, a practice known as “contrast therapy,” supercharges these effects. While the fiery sauna leads to blood vessels expanding, the icy plunge encourages them to constrict, causing blood to pump through the body with each repetition.
But that isn’t all. Sauna bathers experience mental health benefits, too, especially during the colder months. While many (me included) get SAD—Seasonal Affective Disorder–come December, January and February, a sauna session can help you beat those winter blues. For starters, simply sitting in stillness, disconnected from your devices, helps to reset your focus and reconnect with the present moment. Meanwhile, the heat causes you to relax and your body to release endorphins and stimulate serotonin production, resulting in an improved mood and better sleep.
For the Community
Although you can certainly enjoy the heat of a sauna solo, they are, at their core, a communal hub of healing. Many cultures throughout history have a type of sweat bath tradition, whether saunas in Scandinavian countries like Finland and Norway, Turkish hammams, Japanese onsens, banyas in Russia, the temazcal ceremony of the Mayans and Aztecs in Mexico or the sweat lodges of many Native American tribes. However, while the heat source, setting and ritual itself may change, one thing that can be found across all sweat bathing practices is community.
In Minnesota, sauna culture, brought to the state by Finnish immigrants in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, stays true to its Scandinavian roots. As a result, these sanctuaries of warmth and wellness are a place to spend time, swap stories or simply sit in peaceful silence with family, friends and even strangers, feeding your spirit while the heat cleanses you from within.
Where to Sauna Near Rochester, MN
Sauna culture is hot in the North Star State. Although Minnesota doesn’t come close to the person-to-sauna ratio of Finland, where there are around three million saunas in a country of 5.5 million, you can still find several places to sauna in the greater Rochester area and beyond, especially if you don’t mind making the drive up the Twin Cities. If you like, you and your friends can even rent a sauna and have it delivered to your doorstep. Sounds like the perfect way to detox after the holidays and welcome in a period of “new year, new you,” if you ask me!
At Home
Med City Sauna
Based in Rochester, Med City Sauna offers three- and four-day tent sauna rentals. Tents range in size from small, with room for three to four people, to large, with space for eight to ten. Along with the tent, each rental comes with everything you need for your sauna experience, including a stove, bench, bucket, ladle, sauna rocks and firewood. Delivery and setup are available for an additional fee.
Cost: $85 and up for a small tent, $105 and up for a large tent
North Star Sauna
For a Finnish-style sauna experience you can enjoy at home, reserve a rental with North Star Sauna. Wood-fired and crafted out of western red cedar, each barrel sauna is naturally aromatic and can comfortably fit up to six people. A water bucket and bundle of firewood are included with every rental, as is a 75-gallon tub for contrast therapy cold plunges. North Star Sauna will also be featured in LTS Brewing Company’s Hygge Fest on Saturday, January 25, 2025, with bookable 45-minute sessions for $25 per person.
Cost: $300 for 1 night, $450 for 2 nights, $600 for 3 nights
Sauna Life
Each mobile sauna rented through Sauna Life is wood-fired, just like in Finnish tradition, and freshly sanitized between deliveries. Rental packages are available for various durations and include all the sauna necessities, such as towels, sauna scent, a large tote of firewood, a water bucket, and a ladle. A cold-plunge tank is also provided seasonally between April and October. Add-ons like foldable chairs and a fire pit are also available.
Cost: $350 for single-day rental, $300 per day for multi-day rental, $850 for weekend rental, $1,200 for weeklong rental
Rochester
Mobile Sauna Experience at Old Abe Coffee Shop
Want to enjoy a Finnish-style sauna right in Rochester, MN, without paying for a private rental? Then snag one of the hourlong time slots at the mobile sauna experience at Old Abe Coffee Shop. Offered on Thursdays in January and February, this weekly event offers a traditional Finnish sauna experience. Each ticket comes with access to the sauna, ice bath and bonfire, as well as water and a towel.
Cost: $15 per person for a 55-minute session
Location: 832 7th St NW, Rochester, MN 55901
Red Wing
The River Kiln
Gazing out over the Mississippi River, The River Kiln is the sauna equivalent of an Airbnb. This serene space offers a private igloo sauna, complete with a cold plunge pool and a fire pit with river-view seating. The sauna is booked in blocks with a coded entry, ensuring complete privacy for individuals or groups of up to six.
Cost: Per 90 minutes – $20 and up for individuals, $40 and up for couples, $80 and up for 3-4 people, $100 and up for 5-6 people
Location: 1716 Old W Main St, Red Wing, MN 55066
Twin Cities Area
Cedar and Stone
For a luxurious sauna experience with a view, book a session with Cedar and Stone in downtown Minneapolis. From its lofty perch atop the roof of the Four Seasons Hotel, the Cedar and Stone sauna offers both private and social Nordic-style thermic bathing. Offering a guided experience, as well as snow exfoliation, a bucket shower cold plunge, herbal tea, aromatherapy, a robe and towels, the social sauna session is perfect for beginners or those wanting to enjoy the ritual’s communal roots. Each session also comes with access to the spa facilities at Four Seasons Minneapolis, including the indoor pool, steam rooms and showers. Heading to the North Shore? Don’t miss the flagship Cedar and Stone along the Duluth harbor, which features a floating sauna.
Cost: $99 per person for a 75-minute guided social sauna session, $175 per person for a 75-minute private sauna session
Location: Four Seasons Minneapolis, 245 Hennepin Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55401
Embrace North
This is fire and ice for the people. Embrace North is a Minneapolis sauna club that aims to make contrast therapy accessible to the masses. Inspired by public bathhouses, the club offers three saunas and a cold-plunge pool, as well as lockers, changing rooms and showers.
Cost: The first two sessions are free; unlimited access for $39.95 per month
Location: 811 SE 9th St Unit 3C, Minneapolis, MN 55414
Little Ember Co. Sauna at Cedar Lake
Nestled on the shore of Cedar Lake, Little Ember Co.’s Minneapolis sauna is open from Thursday to Sunday. Each session includes access to two wood-fired saunas, along with an array of aromatherapy options to scent the steam as desired. Small holes are cut in the ice of the lake, and buckets are provided for pour-over ice baths. Alternatively, you can also cool down by making a snow angel or frolicking in the cold winter air. Booking dates are released around the 15th for the following month.
Cost: $35 for a 75-minute community session, $119 for 4 sessions, $357 for a private sauna party for up to 12 people
Location: Cedar Lake Point Beach, 2101 Cedar Lake Pkwy, Minneapolis, MN 55416
Sauna Camp
Situated on the bank of Lake Minnewashta, Sauna Camp puts a cold-weather twist on the fun and community of summer camp. Strangers leave as friends after a two-hour session at this waterfront sauna and cold-plunge experience, which features eight wood-fired cedar barrel saunas, ice plunges into the frozen lake, bonfires and warming huts. Please note that, despite the name, no lodging is available for individuals or small groups of sauna bathers (just a 30-person cabin for large group events).
Cost: $55 for a day pass, $199 for a 1-month pass, $599 for a season pass; private saunas start at $449
Location: 3300 Tanadoona Dr, Excelsior, MN 55331
St. Croix Sauna
Enjoy snow-swept views and temperatures of around 180 degrees at St. Croix Sauna in Stillwater, MN. Located right next door to Thor’s Hard Cider, this wood-fired sauna offers 75-minute private sessions and space for up to eight people. The cozy hideaway has everything you need to warm up and unwind, including a changing room with cubbies, Bluetooth speakers, aromatherapy essential oils, towels, complimentary water and tea and a sauna attendant. St. Croix Sauna also occasionally hosts special events like a Sauna & Flow yoga class.
Cost: $69.99 per person for a 75-minute private sauna session
Location: Aamodt’s Apple Farm, 6428 Manning Ave N, Stillwater, MN 55082
Superior Sauna & Steam
Although you can certainly sweat it out alone, sauna is a social experience at its core—and that’s just what you’ll get at one of the sessions put on by Superior Sauna. Offered in a few different locations around the Twin Cities, these fire-and-ice events run the gamut from sauna meditation set to the hypnotic sounds of singing bowls at The Yard, Superior Sauna’s social venue and showroom, to community steam experiences in sauna cabanas situated along the riverside at Pryes Brewing Company. And for those who want to make sauna bathing a family affair, kid-friendly hours are also available during certain events.
Cost: $26 and up per person at The Yard, $41 and up per person at Pryes Brewing Company
Location:
- The Yard, 4355 Nicollet Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55409
- Pryes Brewing Company, 1401 West River Rd N, Minneapolis, MN 55411
And Beyond
Silvae Spiritus
Enjoying a sauna in any setting helps to nurture both the body and mind, but nowhere more so than Silvae Spiritus. Tucked away on 30 wooded acres, this idyllic nature retreat is for those looking to disconnect to reconnect. Along with a wood-fired sauna and hot tub, as well as icy plunge tubs and a water-bucket shower, visitors can also partake in the healing practice of forest bathing and unplug with meditative sound immersion, all with an experienced guide to accompany you throughout your journey of revitalization.
Cost: $39 per person for a 90-minute community sauna session, $69 per person for a 90-minute private sauna session
Location: 68441 Rhine Lake Rd, Finlayson, MN 55735
Sisu and Löyly
Two words have come to represent Finland’s sauna culture. Sisu, or “inner strength,” helps Finns to survive their harsh winters and keep their cool during trying times, and is said to be cultivated through regular sauna sessions. While löyly is the steam that wafts upward after dousing hot sauna stones with water. That is where Sisu and Löyly, a fitting name for a sauna in Grand Marais on Minnesota’s North Shore, draws its inspiration. Home to the first public floating sauna in the United States and another sauna on the shores of Lake Superior, Sisu and Löyly also hosts a wood-fired sauna North Shore Winery in the nearby town of Lutsen.
Cost: $19.51 per person for an hourlong community sauna session, $86 per person for a 90-minute private sauna session
Location: 110 2nd Ave E, Grand Marais, MN 55604
Where do you like to sauna in Minnesota? Leave a comment below!
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