As the days become shorter, darker and colder, a Chicago-based company is turning up the heat by offering private sauna sessions at North Avenue Beach.
Thunder Domes, the company behind pandemic-era dining igloos, has a new venture that lets people rent private sauna sessions in a lakeside, wood-fired, mobile sauna.
The Fire and Ice Sauna Experience, 1600 N. DuSable Lake Shore Drive, is a collaboration between Thunder Domes and the Park District that aims to provide visitors with a wellness-focused winter escape. The private sauna experience is available 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Fridays and can be booked in 25-minute or 60-minute sessions.
The 25-minute personal sauna session costs $25. The 60-minute group session, which includes use of the sauna and an ice bath, costs $80 and can accommodate up to eight people.
The sauna, which can reach up to 200 degrees Fahrenheit, was built at the Industrial Council of Nearwest Chicago, a small business incubator, along with the dining igloos.
Since the dining igloos took off in 2020, Obal and Thunder Domes have built dozens of igloos, saunas and other structures for restaurants, businesses and people in a handful of states. One of the projects includes an off-grid dome that people can rent on Airbnb near the Wisconsin Dells.
To make the most of each sauna session, visitors are encouraged to arrive a few minutes early to settle in and complete a brief orientation, Obal said.
The sauna includes a changing area, with the option to use a pop-up changing room or the sauna itself. Visitors should also bring a swimsuit, at least two towels, sandals and drinking water.
Parking is available at the North Avenue Beach parking lot, and free parking may sometimes be found near Lincoln Park Zoo.
The plan is to start by offering sauna sessions primarily on Fridays, targeting the morning crowd, Obal said. If it catches on, the company plans to add Saturday and Sunday sessions, he said.
The Fire and Ice Sauna Experience will be open until March. For more information, visit Thunder Dome’s website.
