A LITTLE GAINESVILLE, A LITTLE FINLAND.
Your first visit is on us.
Good heat. Cold water. Room to slow down. Come get to know your neighborhood sauna house. First visits are free until our grand opening in November. First-timer admission ends at 7:15 PM.
No reservations. No rush. Locally owned. Take a look around ↓
Open 12–8 pm Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri & Sat · 1210 NW 23rd Ave, Gainesville
Gainesville's Third Place.
We’re Connor and Taylor Cornell, two Gainesville locals who love a good sauna. So we built one: the city’s first authentic Finnish sauna and cold plunge.
You can come in on a day pass or a punch card, but the heart of the house is the unlimited membership. It works like a gym membership. No reservations, no time limits, nothing to book or cancel.
We built it that way on purpose. When you have unlimited access to a place, you use it more, and using it often is the whole point. Make it a routine if you can. That’s the way to sauna.
Connor & Taylor
Owners, Gainesville Sauna House
The sauna rhythm
How a round goes
As shown by the house gnome, who has done this a few thousand times.
Each step explained, plus the house rules and what to bring.
How it works ›Heat. Cool. Stay awhile.
A proper Finnish sauna made in North America.
Western red cedar, heavy stone heaters and plenty of löyly, the steam that rises when water meets hot stones. The rooms run 175–195°F. Settle in and warm up.
Special thanks to Lassi Liikkanen, author of The Secrets of Finnish Sauna Design; Glenn Auerbach, author of Sauna Build: From Start to Finish; Keegan Kittock, co-founder of Deep Wave Sauna Co.; and Vadym Panasiuk of bsaunas, who drove the western red cedar down from Canada and swung the hammer on site.
A refreshing change of pace.
Our in-ground SwimEx cold plunge sits just outside the sauna. Step in at your own pace. The first entry is always the hardest.
Some room to do nothing.
Catch up with a friend. Bring a book. Enjoy the fresh air in the outdoor courtyard between rounds. This part counts, too. The time between rounds lets your nervous system reset.
WHY WE SAUNA
Sauna is a powerful daily and weekly habit.
Decades of peer-reviewed research confirm what Finns have practiced for thousands of years. A landmark 20-year Finnish cohort study following 2,315 men found that those who sauna bathed four to seven times per week had a 40% lower risk of all-cause mortality compared to once-weekly users. Regular sauna use has been clinically associated with reduced cardiovascular risk, lower systemic inflammation, improved sleep quality, and measurable shifts in neurochemical markers including norepinephrine and beta-endorphin.
Cold plunge compounds these effects. Cold water immersion triggers a sharp increase in norepinephrine — in some studies 200–300% above baseline — producing documented improvements in focus, mood, and energy. Practiced together in cycles, contrast therapy amplifies the adaptive response of both.
The health benefits below are numbered to match the scientific references at the bottom of this page. The most reliable way to understand the effects is to experience them consistently over several weeks.
What a regular habit does for you.
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¹ Heart Health
Regular sauna use reduces cardiovascular mortality risk — the same physiological benefit as moderate aerobic exercise, without the movement.
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² Better Sleep
Heat exposure resets your body's circadian signals. Members consistently report deeper, faster, more restful sleep within the first two weeks.
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³ Faster Recovery
Increased circulation delivers oxygen and nutrients to muscle tissue. Athletes use sauna to recover from training faster and hurt less.
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⁴ Sharper Focus
The post-sauna neurochemical cocktail — endorphins, norepinephrine, dopamine — produces a clarity that's different from caffeine. It lasts for hours.
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⁵ Immune Support
Repeated Finnish sauna exposure stimulates proliferation of white blood cells — including lymphocytes, neutrophils, and basophils — and induces expression of heat shock proteins that identify and repair damaged cells. The result is a more responsive immune system and a measurable reduction in the biological markers of cellular stress.
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⁶ Lower Inflammation
Chronic low-grade inflammation is an underlying factor in cardiovascular disease, metabolic disorders, and accelerated aging. Long-term sauna use is independently associated with lower circulating levels of C-reactive protein, the primary clinical blood marker of systemic inflammation, even after controlling for physical activity, diet, and other lifestyle variables.
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Phone-Free Decompression
Our bathhouse is a phone-free zone. The mental benefit of 30-90 minutes of genuine disconnection is harder to measure than the physiological benefits — and just as real.
“Saunassa ollaan kuin kirkossa.”
An old Finnish saying: in the sauna, behave as you would in church. Quiet, unhurried and kind to the people beside you.
5.0 on Google A few words from the neighborhood.
Less paperwork. More time to unwind.
Sign your waiver online before you come by, and we’ll get you settled in sooner.
01 — Sign the waiver.
It takes about five minutes. Sign it online here, or at the front desk when you arrive.
02 — Pack the simple stuff.
A swimsuit and a water bottle. We provide towels, soap, clean sandals and locker storage.
03 — Come on by.
Drop in any time we’re open, no reservation needed. Give yourself about 15 minutes for a first-time check-in and tour.
COME ONCE. MAKE IT A HABIT.
Find your rhythm.
When it feels like your place, here’s how to keep coming back. Founding memberships are available until we sell out. See all pass options →
Unlimited visits for you and your household, no booking
Unlimited guest passes (one per guest)
One membership, one card, billed together each month
Your rates stay locked for as long as your membership is active
Founding memberships are available until we sell out. Then the price goes up.
Month-to-month. Cancel with 30 days’ notice
Choose your household size below. Each household member gets their own check-in card at the front desk.
Unlimited visits, no booking
Unlimited guest passes (one per guest)
Your $199 rate stays locked for as long as your membership is active
Founding memberships are available until we sell out. Then the price goes up.
Month-to-month. Cancel with 30 days’ notice
Adding someone from your household? Choose the Founding Household Membership so everyone is billed together.
Five visits, $39.80 each
Never expires
Share visits with friends when you come along
Best for out-of-towners
Events happening at the house.
Special events, guest sessions and any changes to our regular hours show up here. Take a look before you head over, especially if you’re eyeing a day we’re normally closed.
Something to look forward to.
An afternoon with Lassi Liikkanen — Sunday, October 25, 2–5 pm
Finnish sauna designer, Aalto University adjunct professor and author Dr. Lassi A. Liikkanen spends the afternoon at the house: a meet-and-greet, questions on heat, stones and ventilation, and a traditional löyly session. A special Sunday opening.
50 tickets, first come, first served. Members free with the code in your member email. Non-members $25. Get a ticket →
Good to know.
Still wondering about something? Just ask us. Full house rules are on How It Works.
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No. Drop in any time during open hours: 12–8 pm Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. There’s no time limit on your visit. Ticketed events may have separate entry.
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A swimsuit (required in all shared areas) and a refillable water bottle. We provide towels, soap, clean sandals, showers and changing rooms, and lockable storage for your phone, keys and wallet.
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Your first visit is free until our grand opening in November. Day passes will be available after the grand opening. The price will be announced later. Connor or Taylor will give you a tour and have you sign the waiver and code of conduct, about 15 minutes. Sign the waiver online before you come to save a step.
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Phones stay in the lobby. Store yours in a reception locker or your car, and step back to the lobby any time you need to check it. It’s a big part of why the place works.
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Yes. The house is family-friendly, and parents or guardians are responsible for guests 17 and under at all times. Founding members get unlimited guest passes, limited to one per guest, and must come with their guest. Add household members to a membership at the front desk: $99/month for the first, $49/month for each additional.
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Yes. Founding memberships are month-to-month with no contract. Cancel with 30 days’ notice. Your $199 founding rate stays locked for as long as your membership is active.
YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD SAUNA HOUSE.
See how it feels. Your first visit is free.
Free first visits run until our grand opening in November. Come in on any open day. Sign your waiver ahead of time and you can head straight to the heat.
Come by.
Hours
Monday & Tuesday: 12–8 pm
Wednesday: Closed
Thursday–Saturday: 12–8 pm
Sunday: Closed
Special events may have different hours.
Find us
1210 NW 23rd Ave
Gainesville, FL 32609
Get directions →
Say hello
hello@gainesvillesaunahouse.com
Connor: 352-562-9636
Taylor: 352-226-6616
FOLLOW ALONG
Life around the house.
Events, new things in the courtyard, and the occasional gnome sighting.
OH, HELLO THERE.
You found the house gnome.
Just a little reminder from the smallest member of the house: slow down. There’s no prize for rushing.
SCIENTIFIC REFERENCES
1. Laukkanen, T., Khan, H., Zaccardi, F., & Laukkanen, J. A. (2015). Association between sauna bathing and fatal cardiovascular and all-cause mortality events. JAMA Internal Medicine, 175(4), 542–548. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamainternmed.2014.8187
2. Haghayegh, S., Khoshnevis, S., Smolensky, M. H., Diller, K. R., & Castriotta, R. J. (2019). Before-bedtime passive body heating by warm shower or bath to improve sleep: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Sleep Medicine Reviews, 46, 124–135. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smrv.2019.04.008
3. Laukkanen, J. A., Laukkanen, T., & Kunutsor, S. K. (2018). Cardiovascular and other health benefits of sauna bathing: A review of the evidence. Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 93(8), 1111–1121. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mayocp.2018.04.008
4. Laatikainen, T., Salminen, K., Kohvakka, A., & Pettersson, J. (1988). Response of plasma endorphins, prolactin and catecholamines in women to intense heat in a Finnish sauna. European Journal of Applied Physiology and Occupational Physiology, 57(1), 98–102. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00691246
5. Pilch, W., Pokora, I., Szyguła, Z., Pałka, T., Pilch, P., Cisoń, T., Malik, L., & Wiecha, S. (2013). Effect of a single Finnish sauna session on white blood cell profile and cortisol levels in athletes and non-athletes. Journal of Human Kinetics, 39, 127–135. https://doi.org/10.2478/hukin-2013-0075
6. Kunutsor, S. K., Laukkanen, T., & Laukkanen, J. A. (2018). Longitudinal associations of sauna bathing with inflammation and oxidative stress: The KIHD prospective cohort study. Annals of Medicine, 50(5), 437–442. https://doi.org/10.1080/07853890.2018.1489143