Watershed Spa

514 2nd St SE, Minneapolis, MN

Watershed Spa is the Twin Cities' first dedicated communal bathhouse, occupying the historic Switch House (the former Soap Factory) along the Mississippi River near St. Anthony Main. The flagship facility is built around a six-step communal bathing ritual — shower, soak, steam, sauna, cold plunge, rest — with guests moving through the cycle at their own pace over a 2.5-hour pass. Add-on services include massage, acupuncture, sound healing, and skincare. This is the place to bring a friend or partner who's curious about bathhouse culture but wants a polished, modern setting rather than a Scandinavian-purist sauna club. The Mississippi River setting and design-forward interiors make it as much a destination as a wellness facility, and the long open hours (9 AM to 11 PM daily) accommodate after-work soaks. Watershed has been growing fast — a second North Loop location is in the works — and the original spa is undergoing an expansion that will nearly double its footprint. For first-timers in Minneapolis, this is the natural starting point.

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