Nashville isn’t the first city you think of for sauna culture, and that’s exactly why the scene here is interesting — it’s brand new and growing fast. Twenty-eight verified venues and counting. Framework opened a Finnish-inspired studio in Wedgewood-Houston and then expanded to an outdoor backyard concept in East Nashville. Lolu built a 40-person communal sauna in the heart of East Nashville and paired it with guided breathwork. Urban Sweat won Best of Nashville two years running. And Holiday Salon & Bathhouse turned a private group experience into one of the most unique wellness offerings in the South. There’s no century-old banya heritage here, no Finnish immigrant tradition. Nashville’s sauna scene is being built right now, by people who moved here from everywhere else and brought their wellness habits with them. Here’s where to go.
Framework
Wedgewood-Houston (flagship) & East Nashville (Backyard) · joinframework.com
What they’ve got: Seven traditional dry saunas (175°F+, 265 lbs of hot stones each), thirteen cold plunge tubs at varying temps, outdoor showers, café with espresso and zero-proof cocktails
The details: Nashville’s most popular sauna and cold plunge destination, and it’s not close. The Wedgewood-Houston flagship is a bright, airy studio designed to flow between indoor and outdoor spaces — seven traditional saunas, thirteen cold plunges, and a patio for resting between rounds. Each sauna holds 265 pounds of hot stones and runs at least 175°F. No infrared, no IV drips — just dry heat and cold water. The café upstairs serves a full espresso menu, custom functional tealixirs, and bespoke zero-proof cocktails, which is a nice touch when you’re done sweating. The newer East Nashville Backyard location transforms a historic Greenwood home into a 3,000+ square foot outdoor wellness oasis with a 190°F sauna for up to 12 people, four cold tubs, lounge areas, and guided movement classes. Both locations are open and bookable.
Temps & Pricing: Saunas 175°F+. Multiple cold plunge temperatures. Membership $119/month. Single sessions available.
Lolu
East Nashville · lolulife.com
What they’ve got: 40-person western red cedar communal sauna (140-170°F), 20-person cold plunge room (40°F), private sauna, lounge with tea and coffee, guided breathwork classes
The details: Part sauna studio, part community center, part wellness movement. Lolu’s centerpiece is a massive 40-person communal sauna built from western red cedar — the largest in Nashville — alongside a 20-person cold plunge room maintained at 40°F. Self-guided sessions give you 75 minutes to move between sauna, plunge, and lounge at your own pace. Guided sessions are where Lolu really differentiates: certified breathwork and mindfulness coaches lead groups of up to 35 through intentionally designed protocols in the sauna and cold plunge rooms. The lounge has tea, coffee, and space to hydrate and connect between rounds. Private sauna available for solo sessions. The testimonials tell the story — people describe reduced pain and inflammation, decreased anxiety, and “a profound sense of belonging.” The community piece isn’t marketing. It’s the product.
Temps & Pricing: Sauna 140-170°F. Cold plunge 40°F. 75-minute sessions. Check their site for session pricing and membership options.
Holiday Salon & Bathhouse Nashville · holidaysalonbathhouse.com
What they’ve got: Himalayan salt sauna, steam room, 104°F saltwater soaking pool, private infrared sauna, whirlpool tub
The details: The most unique format in Nashville. Holiday operates as a private group bathhouse — book the space for up to 10 people and get the entire facility to yourselves. The main circuit includes a Himalayan salt sauna, a steam room, and a 104°F saltwater soaking pool. For a more intimate experience, the Soak & Sauna room offers a private infrared sauna and whirlpool tub. This isn’t a walk-in-and-sweat situation — it’s designed for bachelorette parties, friend groups, team outings, or couples who want a private wellness experience without sharing the space with strangers. The private-group model means the vibe is whatever you make it.
Temps & Pricing: Himalayan salt sauna. Saltwater soak at 104°F. Private group bookings for up to 10. Check their site for pricing and availability.
Urban Sweat
The Nations, Wedgewood-Houston, Green Hills & Nolensville · urbansweat.com
What they’ve got: Infrared sauna (pods and cabins), red light therapy, cold plunge
The details: Nashville’s infrared chain, voted Best of Nashville by Nashville Fit Magazine in 2023 and 2024. Four locations across the city make it the most accessible option for regular contrast therapy sessions. Choose from 20-minute red light therapy, 30-minute infrared sauna pods, 40-minute infrared sauna cabins, and 15-minute cold plunge appointments — or combine them for a full contrast therapy circuit. Private rooms throughout. The sauna pods are cozy and private; the cabins offer more space. First-timer intro offers are available and expire after 60 days. The multi-location model means there’s probably one near you, which matters more than anything for building a weekly habit.
Temps & Pricing: Infrared sauna and cold plunge. First-timer intro offers available. Check their site for pricing across locations.
Pure Sweat + Float Studio
12 South, Gulch & Belle Meade · puresweatstudios.com
What they’ve got: Full-spectrum infrared sauna cabins, cold plunge (Gulch), float therapy tanks (Belle Meade), Netflix and Spotify in-room
The details: The pioneer of Nashville’s contrast therapy scene, now with multiple locations and expanding. The Gulch location is the one for contrast therapy — private infrared sauna suites with BlueCube cold plunge tubs and ensuite showers stocked with natural bath products and body oil. The Belle Meade location pairs infrared sauna with float therapy tanks filled with 1,000 pounds of Epsom salt. The 12 South location focuses on infrared sauna only. Netflix and Spotify are available in the sauna rooms, which is either a great feature or defeats the purpose depending on your philosophy. Private suites throughout — you never share your session. The float therapy pairing at Belle Meade is a differentiator nobody else in Nashville offers.
Temps & Pricing: Full-spectrum infrared sauna. Cold plunge at Gulch location. Float therapy at Belle Meade. Check their site for session pricing.
FORM Wellness
12 South · formwellness.com
What they’ve got: Ozone sauna pods, cold plunge tub (fits two), lavender towels, supplements
The details: Nashville’s first ozone sauna studio. Unlike traditional saunas that rely purely on heat, ozone saunas combine heat with ozone therapy — proponents say it enhances detoxification, improves circulation, and supports immune health. The cold plunge tub fits two people and pairs naturally with the sauna for a contrast therapy session. The 12 South location is compact and focused — no sprawling bathhouse, no café, no lounge. You book a 30-minute sauna session ($50), a 10-minute cold plunge ($20), or both. Day passes at $20 get you in the door. Monthly memberships start at $119 for regulars. Free parking. Lavender towels are a nice touch.
Temps & Pricing: Ozone sauna pods. Cold plunge. Single sauna session $50/30 min. Cold plunge $20/10 min. Day pass $20. Membership from $119/month.
MoSauna
Mobile (Nashville area) · mosauna.co
What they’ve got: Wood-fired mobile sauna (fits 10-12), optional cold plunge tub add-on
The details: Nashville’s mobile sauna option. A wood-fired sauna — no infrared panels, just real heat and steam — delivered to your driveway, backyard, or event. Fits 10-12 people. The cold plunge tub is available as an add-on for the full contrast therapy experience. Book it for home use, a party, a bachelor/bachelorette weekend, a corporate retreat, or just a Tuesday night with friends. The wood-fired approach means the heat is traditional and serious. Nashville’s climate makes outdoor sauna and plunge sessions comfortable most of the year, which gives the mobile model an advantage it wouldn’t have in, say, Minneapolis in January.
Temps & Pricing: Wood-fired sauna. Cold plunge add-on available. Check their site for rental pricing and booking.
Honorable Mentions
SweatHouz (Gulch & East Nashville) — Private infrared sauna rooms (up to 170°F) with cold plunge (48-55°F) and vitamin C showers. National franchise, consistent execution. 45-minute sessions.
Nashville Performance Club — Pop-up cold plunge and sauna events around Nashville, including at Assembly Food Hall downtown. Community-driven. Follow them for the next event.
Pause Studio — State-of-the-art wellness destination with science-based recovery treatments including infrared sauna, cold plunge, float tanks, and cryotherapy. The recovery tech stack option.
Restore Hyper Wellness — Multiple Nashville locations. Cryotherapy, infrared sauna, IV drips, red light therapy, compression boots. The biohacker chain.
Float Nashville (Berry Hill) — Tennessee’s first float studio. Three float tanks for easing chronic pain, migraines, and anxiety. Not contrast therapy, but a complementary modality worth knowing about.
Dial In Your Session
Nashville’s thermal scene ranges from 190°F traditional dry saunas with 265 pounds of hot stones to infrared pods, from 40°F communal cold plunge rooms to private BlueCube tubs. A guided breathwork session at Lolu and a solo infrared cabin at Pure Sweat are completely different experiences.
Curious how those temperature and modality differences change what your body actually gets? Run your setup through the TempRx calculator and see.
Know a Nashville sauna or cold plunge spot we missed? Drop it in the comments and we’ll check it out.