Alongside warmer temperatures and blooming flowers — communal bathing is expected to arrive in Tennessee this spring. Sauna House, a modern bathhouse brand, announced plans to launch a Knoxville location as early as spring 2025. The brand is eager to bring its innovative wellness approach and hospitality to the area.
“We are incredibly proud to bring a space to our community that not only promotes mental and physical well-being but also offers a beautiful place for neighbors and friends to connect in a tech-free environment,” said Peter and Dianna Osickey, long-time Knoxville residents and the new location’s developers. “After experiencing Sauna House Asheville, we dreamed of having a similar facility closer to home and are thrilled to now be the stewards of this amazing resource for the East Tennessee community.”
Unlike most wellness or recovery studios, Sauna House delivers a rejuvenating experience that also focuses on connecting people to themselves and others rather than technology. All Sauna House locations are device-free, putting a barrier between guests and the often stress-inducing screens that riddle their lives. The brand also offers expansive social spaces featuring innovative architecture and maintains a strong commitment to hospitality to curate personable experiences.
Sauna House is also known for its “Hot-Cold-Relax” circuit, which gives guests a 15-minute hot sauna session, then a 3-5 minute cold plunge followed by an opportunity to return to the sauna. The cycle is then repeated two or three times. Drinks such as tea, adaptogenic sparkling water or kombucha are available to those partaking in the experience as well.
“We couldn’t be more excited to bring Sauna House to Knoxville,” said founder and CEO Andrew Lachlan. “Knoxville’s energy is rooted in its people and the balance between vibrant city life and access to nature. Sauna House is proud to offer a modern wellness experience that resonates with these values, creating a space for community, relaxation and meaningful connection.”
Along with the aforementioned amenities, the Knoxville Sauna House will feature an outdoor courtyard and a space for private events.
To give the community a taste of what’s to come, Sauna House will also host a pop-up at Ijams Nature Center, which is less than five miles away from the soon-to-be Knoxville location. The mobile sauna experience begins on Friday, Dec. 27, complementing the natural cold plunge taking place at Mead’s Quarry. A polar plunge sauna party is also scheduled for Dec. 31, which Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon will partake in, the brand says.
This passion for wellness and contrast therapy demonstrated by Knoxville’s stakeholders is shared across the country. SWTHZ, an Atlanta-based contrast therapy studio that launched roughly two years ago, had 31 open locations and 16 under construction as of last month. Pause Studio, a holistic wellness brand offering float therapy, contrast therapy and more, has 34 new locations set to open in 2025 as well.
