PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A South Philadelphia museum is offering guests a special way to knock that winter chill off their bones and experience a little Swedish culture. The American Swedish Historical Museum in FDR Park is hosting a sauna pop-up.
“The museum currently has an exhibit on view all about sauna culture, specifically in Finland,” says Kelley Garrard with Scout, the company hosting the pop-up. “So to celebrate that, we brought in some barrel saunas that anyone can book.”
Saunas, as a place for relaxation, community, and cleansing, are a central part of Scandinavian life.
“I think the time couldn’t be more perfect. It’s just getting cold here,” Garrard said.
The saunas, located right outside of the museum, get up to about 180 degrees.
“They get pretty hot in there, so it’s great. You can go in — usually recommend going in about 15 minutes at a time — then you can step outside, and you get that cold winter air, beautiful FDR park to overlook, so it’s really a special experience you can’t find anywhere else in the area.”
For guests who book some time in the sauna, the museum will waive their museum fee, Garrard said. “So, you can sauna, and then you can learn all about saunas at the exhibit.”
Saunas have a close historical tie to the area, she said. Decades before William Penn founded Philadelphia, New Sweden, a Swedish colony from 1638 to 1655, comprised what are now parts of Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. Before that, the Lenape people inhabited the area.
“We were really inspired, when researching Swedish American history, by Queen Christina, who really helped establish the Swedish culture here in the Philadelphia area,” Garrard said.
Queen Village, in South Philadelphia, is named in honor of Christina and her role in promoting settlement in the colony — as are both Queen and Christian streets. A portrait of Christina is currently in the collection of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. And in a nod to those Swedish settlers, the Philadelphia flag shares the same colors as the flag of Sweden.
“So we were inspired by that fun little tidbit of history and really making the sauna all about shared experiences.”
A caveat: “No nudity,” says Garrard. Guests are required to bring their own swimwear and towel.
“There are traditional saunas, where nudity is allowed or encouraged, but not the museum.”
The saunas will be open through March.