With the winter months approaching, Wisconsinites will be tapping into their preferred forms of hygge, the Scandinavian term for embracing the cold with cozy activities. A new destination, Heat Haven Sauna Park, brings the fjord life to a corner of Hoyt Park in Wauwatosa.
The business owner, Jesse Hieb describes himself as a nomad, moving frequently for his job in disaster relief work.
“I had been travelling for about four years, then I decided to move back to Wisconsin, and I was dreading winter,” said Hieb. “I told my partner, ‘I’m going to need a sauna to get through the winter’ and she told me I was being ridiculous,” he laughs.
His first winter back, work took him to Asheville, North Carolina after Hurricane Helene, where he went to a “sauna social” at a place called Drip Sauna. “I had the most delightful experience,” he remarked, inspiring him to bring it back home.
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After some research, Hieb invested in two wood saunas and arranged with Wauwatosa’s Hart Park to have the first Heat Haven season last year. Based on signed waivers, Hieb says about 2,500 showed up for the steam last season from around the state and beyond. This year, they’ve expanded and moved their sauna park from Hart to Hoyt, located by the park’s facility The Landing, which has a beer garden, venue, concession stand and pool. The grand opening was on Nov. 1. A second location, at Blum Coffee Garden in Greenfield, opened on Oct. 3.
The Hoyt Park location has three wood saunas, that can each hold 6-8 people. I arrived for one of the Friday night “Community Sweat” sessions, which is $35 for 75 minutes. It’s an open session where you share saunas with other attendees. Other options include a private sauna for up to six people at $150 and “Movement and Sauna” events that include guided experiences like yoga, tai chi and breathwork, followed by a sauna. The price can vary on those sessions (see their website for upcoming events). If you’re planning on making a sauna part of a regular routine, Heat Haven also offers a Robe Club that is $99 dollars a month (plus a one-time $150 join fee) that includes unlimited sauna access at both their locations, a fuzzy robe and other perks.
After being checked-in, I’m directed to a hallway in the park building that has a bathroom that can be used for changing. Your list of items to bring should include a towel (and robe if you like), flip flops, a swimming suit or workout clothes (“don’t worry, this isn’t Europe,” as their confirmation e-mail notes), and a water bottle (the latter of which you’ll be really glad to have).
Hieb tells me I should try 10-15 minutes in the sauna but should listen to my body and step outside if the heat is too much. The first sauna I tried was really hot and I felt like the tip of my nose and eyebrows would start to singe, so I don’t think I made it a full ten minutes. I stepped into the crisp air for a couple minutes, drank some water, then tried a different sauna.
This second one felt more bearable– I noticed the thermometer inside fluctuated somewhere between 170 and 180 degrees. The sweat in this range felt good, and I took a big dollop of water with a wooden spoon and splashed it on the bin full of hot rocks to a satisfying hiss of steam.
Everyone I met moving between the saunas was friendly and relaxed, and kind of like being in an elevator, there were pleasantries and some small talk, but the air was too hot and thick to get into deep conversations on philosophy. But after the sauna, there was a nice group of people socializing and talking about travel plans and life around the fire, as humans have done for time immemorial.
“People in the community want to make it a regular space,” Hieb said, noting they’ve already developed returning customers.
After my third round in a sauna, I decided it was time to take a deep breath and brace for a frigid splash. Hoyt Park does not yet have a cold plunge pool (they might in the future) so for now they have a device they’ve named the “Chilloutine,” a stall with a bucket filled from a hose. Pulling a rope drenches you in cold water. After steaming in a 180-degree sauna, the blast of cold water is… invigorating, let’s put it that way. I heated myself up with another dry sauna round, then took a seat by the bonfire. I realized that after a long, at times tense week, this was the most relaxed I had felt in a long while.
Hieb says that saunas, when made part of a regular routine, are good for circulation, stress release, muscle recovery and “that unmistakable post-sauna glow.” A couple patrons told me that I could also expect to get a good night’s sleep that night.
I found that claim, for me at least, to be true.
For those interested in trying out Heat Haven themselves, the sauna is hosting a Winter Warm Up event this Saturday Nov. 14, from 3 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., at the Blum Coffee Garden. There will be free s’mores, sauna time and drink deals for participants. This is a family friendly event, but children under the age of 12 are not allowed, and children ages 12-18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
