Bathhouse Culture Is Here

Raleigh’s first bathhouse debuts Downtown—as bathhouse culture sweeps the nation.

Suggest a trip to a bathhouse in the U.S., and you’ll likely get mixed reactions. Some picture a sweaty room teeming with strangers (cue Naked and Afraid)—but for a growing number of others, a communal sauna and soak is part of a weekly ritual.

Once considered a European or Asian tradition, communal bathhouses are modernizing—and slowly entering the wellness landscape. At their core, these spaces revolve around contrast therapy: cycling between hot saunas and icy plunges to boost circulation, recovery and relaxation. 

But the real draw isn’t just physical. It’s social. In cities like New York, San Francisco and Chicago, bathhouses have become gathering spots—places people unplug, unwind and spend time together without the pressure of bars or nightlife. 

Now Raleigh is dipping its toe in the water. In March, NC-based Sauna House opened its fourth location in the state—and its seventh overall. Unlike SweatHouz—another local sauna- and cold plunge-based space—Sauna House Raleigh’s core service is the community bathhouse—emphasis on community, says co-owner James Grogan.

“In the normal spots, you get tucked away and have your private little oasis,” he explains. “Whereas, if you came here, we could be sitting here together, having just met—and so that’s part of the charm we’re really leaning into.”

The space is designed to encourage that interaction. While the saunas and cold plunges remain the centerpiece of Sauna House’s Nordic contrast therapy, the first thing guests encounter isn’t the heat or ice—it’s a circle of recessed benches arranged to face one another, encouraging conversation before and between sessions. As such, one of the two communal sauna rooms is deliberately brighter and warmer to invite conversation, while nearby lounge seating gives guests space to linger between plunges.

With mental and physical health at its core, bathhouses are part of a post-pandemic wellness wave that shows no signs of slowing. In 2024 alone, the U.S. sauna market generated $255.5 million in revenue—and analysts project it will climb to $415.4 million by 2033.

And it’s a market modern bathhouses are primed to tap. Aside from health benefits like improved circulation, metabolism activation and muscle recovery, bathhouses provide a place to unplug, unwind—and even socialize without pressure.

But it’s the communal element that’s fueling the bathhouse boom nationwide. As younger generations rethink nightlife and wellness, many are searching for places to gather where they can form real friendships and that feel healthier—and more intentional—than bars.

That’s the experience Grogan and his wife, co-owner Kady Brotherton, first encountered as regulars at the original Sauna House in Asheville. Now he hopes to bring that same ritual to Raleigh.

“Raleigh is very wellness-focused,” says Grogan. “I see more run and cycling clubs, yoga studios. People are looking for a place to relax—and [that] comes together in this space to give them a place to get away from it all.”

For the Southeast, Sauna House’s expansion signals something larger: a once-European tradition is no longer niche. It’s becoming a hub for community, wellness and a different kind of social ritual—one session at a time. 

Related Articles

Coffee Culture Canning Culture Caffeine Culture What’s New in Raleigh Retail