The Rise of Public Sauna in America | Finnish Sauna, DIY Building & Sauna Culture Revival | Recorded at the 2026 Culture of Bathing Sauna Village in New York City

About this episode

This episode features a conversation about the rise of public sauna culture in America, exploring various themes related to sauna and bathing culture.

In this special episode of Sauna Talk, the tables are turned as Adam Pambatanaka, COO of Therme Group U.S., steps into the interviewer's role and puts Glenn on the bench. Recorded live at Sauna Village in New York City in February 2026, this conversation dives into Glenn's own sauna origin story, from getting hooked in the Baltic archipelago to helping champion mobile saunas, sauna building, and public sauna culture across North America. Adam guides the discussion through the big themes that have shaped Glenn's work with SaunaTimes: the rise of sauna in the public domain, the DIY sauna movement, floating saunas, sauna villages, and the growing momentum behind authentic bathing culture in the U.S. Along the way, Glenn reflects on how far sauna has come, what still matters most, and why both home sauna and public sauna can thrive side by side. This episode also explores the spirit of sauna itself: fewer rules, more listening; less protocol, more presence. For newcomers, enthusiasts, builders, and operators alike, this is a wide-ranging conversation about heat, cold, freedom, and the human connections that happen on the bench. Stay tuned through the end for bonus coverage with Sami…

People in this episode

Host: Glenn

Guest: Adam Pambatanaka

Topics covered

• public sauna culture
• DIY sauna movement
• sauna design
• bathing culture
• sauna origin stories
• human connections

Keywords

• public sauna
• DIY sauna
• sauna culture
• bathing
• sauna design
• mobile saunas
• sauna villages
• human connections

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Therme Group U.S.

Places: Baltic archipelago, New York City

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