Fiorst at the Schuylkill Center

8480 Hagys Mill Rd, Philadelphia, PA

Fiorst runs two wood-fired saunas in the woods of the Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education in Upper Roxborough, a 340-acre nature preserve inside city limits. Each is a portable cedar build with a wood stove, hot stones for steam and a full glass wall framing the forest and meadow, heated to roughly 170-190°F, with a cedar cold-plunge tub and a firepit outside. It debuted in February 2026 as a winter experiment run with the center and is back for the 2026-27 season; a share of every ticket supports the center's work preserving the land. Sessions are booked through Fiorst's site and run 90 minutes. The shared Social Session is $50 and lets you move between the two saunas at your own pace; private sessions are $250 for one sauna and a group of up to 8, or $400 for both saunas and up to 16, fully hosted by the Fiorst team. For the 2026-27 season the schedule is weekends, with afternoon slots from about 2 p.m. It is bathing-suit only. Bring swimwear, two towels (one to sit on in the sauna), sandals, water and a warm layer for the firepit; restrooms double as changing rooms, and you are welcome to bring snacks to enjoy outside. Fiorst founder Jose Ugas started the project in 2024 after seeing saunas set in nature in Sweden, spent two nomadic seasons popping up near Valley Forge and in Phoenixville, and also runs a private riverside sauna in Conshohocken. The Schuylkill Center site is seasonal and weather-dependent, so check the schedule before you go; Fiorst offers full refunds if it cancels for severe weather.

Quick facts

Type
Community Sauna
Heat
Traditional sauna
Cold
Cold plunge tub
Temperatures
Sauna 170–190°F
Drop-in price
$50 per session
Booking
Reservation required
Session style
Open access
Gender
Co-ed
Clothing
Clothing required

Hours

Book on the facility's site

Last updated November 2026.

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