The best saunas in the Chicago area
Last reviewed October 2026
In Wicker Park, the steam in a 1906 banya comes off stones that have heated all night. Over in River West, candles light a circuit of pools inside an old factory. Come winter, wood-fired saunas stand on the Riverwalk under the downtown towers.
#1 · Chicago Bath House
Red Square steam, then the plunge pool · Chicago
The Red Square is the room to sit in. Its stones are kept in a granite chamber and doused for steam, and between rounds come the plunge pool, a Finnish sauna and eucalyptus steam. Platza treatments are booked on top, and the restaurant and bar are there for afterwards.
Banya · Finnish · Steam · $$ · Cold plunge · Drop-in
#2 · AIRE Ancient Baths — Chicago
A candlelit circuit of pools · Chicago
You bathe by candlelight in a 1902 factory in River West, where a dry sauna and aromatherapy steam do the heating. Warm, hot and cold pools, a salt float bath and a jet bath take care of the rest. Beyond a waterfall, reached by swimming, is the Palestra: a warm pool open to the sky.
Finnish · Steam · $$$ · Cold plunge · Session-booked
#3 · King Spa & Sauna — Niles
From the salt room to Bul Ga Ma · Niles
At this Korean jjimjilbang, the day goes from one themed sweat room to the next. Among them are salt, ochre, charcoal, amethyst, a pyramid and the high heat of the Bul Ga Ma. Body scrubs, acupressure massage and the Korean food court break up the rounds, and the relaxation lounge takes overnight guests.
Jjimjilbang · Finnish · Steam · Ice · $$$ · Drop-in
#4 · Riverwalk Saunas
Iglucraft saunas on the Riverwalk · Chicago
In winter, shingled Iglucraft saunas stand at the Island Party Hut on the Chicago Riverwalk, a few steps from the river. The stoves burn wood, and the downtown towers rise straight above you between rounds. Groups can take a sauna privately for two hours.
Finnish · $$ · Session-booked
#5 · FarWell Sauna
Hyde Park sand, Lake Michigan view · Chicago
A wood-fired sauna on the sand at 57th Street Beach in Hyde Park runs half-hour sessions through the summer: heat, a cold rinse outside, then rest facing Lake Michigan. Park district rules keep you out of the lake. The rinse is the cold side.
Finnish · $ · Session-booked
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That's the shortlist. See every curated sauna in the Chicago area in the full Chicago area guide.