Finnish-style sauna and cold plunge spot coming to Arlington
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Image: Courtesy of Steven Hu
A Finnish-style sauna is coming to Arlington.
Why it matters: This isn't your typical gym sauna — Sauna Jungle will be a communal third space where people come together to socialize while sweating.
The big picture: Sauna culture is hot right now — literally — as people increasingly spend on health and wellness and look for activities that don't involve drinking.
State of play: Sauna Jungle is set to open in December in Arlington, with two large Finnish-style saunas, cold plunges, cold bucket showers and rinse stations, owner Steven Hu tells Axios.
- Expect programming with certain days designated as social sauna or silent sauna, or others reserved just for men or women or the LGBTQ+ community. (The saunas will be mixed-gender and, yes, bathing suits are required.)
- A day pass will be $50, with subscriptions starting at $99 — and the waitlist is over 3,000 people long.
What they're saying: Hu and his wife got really into the social sauna scene while living in San Francisco. But when they returned to D.C., they couldn't find the same type of thing.
- "Today a lot of people will say, 'Hey, let's meet up for coffee, or let's grab a drink after work,'" says Hu. "What we would love to be more mainstream is, 'Hey, let's meet up at the sauna.'"
The name is a play on the phrase "concrete jungle," says Hu: "The idea is to create these little escapes throughout the city where you can get hot, get cold, put the phone away and really slow down."
What we're watching: Hu is looking at spaces for a second location in D.C., which he hopes to open by winter 2027.
If you go: Sauna Jungle will be located at 5210 Wilson Blvd, Arlington.
