Ebba Sparre Sauna Collective
1900 Pattison Ave, Philadelphia, PA
Ebba Sparre Sauna Collective is a winter pop-up of three private cedar barrel saunas on the steps of the American Swedish Historical Museum in FDR Park, South Philadelphia. Created by Scout, the developers behind the Bok building, it launched in December 2024 alongside the museum's "Sauna is Life" exhibition and is named for Ebba Sparre, a lady-in-waiting and close friend of Sweden's Queen Christina. Each barrel seats up to four, and you sweat looking out over the park's lagoons and the museum's 1920s stone facade. There is no cold plunge; the cold here is the Philadelphia winter air on the terrace. The collective runs seasonally, roughly mid-December through late March. The 2025-26 season opened December 13, 2025 and ran to March 29, 2026, Friday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Dates for the 2026-27 season have not been announced yet, so check the website before planning a visit. You book a whole barrel, not a seat: a 45-minute session was $120 per barrel last season regardless of how many of the four seats you fill (earlier reporting also mentioned 90-minute sessions), and groups can take all three barrels for up to 12 people. Every booking includes a towel, a locker, a compostable bag for wet swimsuits and free same-day museum admission. Guests must be 18+ with photo ID, and swimsuits are required in the barrels; wear a robe or towel and shoes between the restrooms and the saunas. There are no showers, so plan to rinse at home. Alcohol and outside food are not allowed, sessions close for thunder, lightning or museum weather closures, and the barrels are not accessible for guests with reduced mobility. Scout gives 10 percent of revenue back to the museum, and Philadelphia Magazine named the debut season Best Winter Warmer 2025.
Quick facts
- Type
- Community Sauna
- Heat
- Traditional sauna
- Drop-in price
- $120 per session
- Booking
- Private booking
- Session style
- Appointment-based
- Gender
- Co-ed
- Clothing
- Clothing required
- Age policy
- 18+
Hours
- Monday: Closed
- Tuesday: Closed
- Wednesday: Closed
- Thursday: Closed
- Friday: 10:00–18:00
- Saturday: 10:00–18:00
- Sunday: 10:00–18:00
Last updated November 2026.