612 Sauna Cooperative

Cedar Lake / Theodore Wirth Pkwy (mobile), Minneapolis, MN

612 Sauna Cooperative is the oldest sauna co-op in the United States — member-owned and -operated since 2016. Founder John Pederson and a tight-knit board run The Forge, a wood-fired mobile sauna trailer that rotates between Hidden Beach (Cedar Lake), Theodore Wirth Park, and other lake-adjacent locations across the seasons. Members help stoke the stove, sweep out the benches, and decide where the trailer parks next. It is sauna as community ritual, not commerce. Sessions are co-ed, swimsuit-required, with a strong tradition of jumping straight into the lake or rolling in the snow between rounds. Guests can join member-led public sessions for a small drop-in fee, but real participation means joining the co-op. Watch the Instagram for the current location and schedule.

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