Cleveland's riverfront is about to get a lot hotter, in every sense of the word. A new Scandinavian-style outdoor sauna and cold-plunge park is planned for the Cuyahoga River, bringing wood-fired tubs, chilly dips and waterfront bonfires to the Flats.
Husband-and-wife team Dan and Femke Michaels are behind Saunagoose, a year-round wellness village that would stack wood-fired hot tubs, private and communal saunas and ice-tempered plunges on a riverfront lot. The plan also includes a café, rotating food trucks and evening fire pits, with the whole setup pitched as a new kind of neighborhood gathering spot.
According to Cleveland Scene, Saunagoose would be Ohio's first outdoor sauna-and-cold-plunge complex. The developers are currently moving their proposal through city planning this spring for a site at 1840 Carter Road, on the northern tip of Scranton Peninsula. Femke Michaels told the outlet that the concept is about "embracing the elements instead of avoiding them," and Cleveland Scene reports that visitors will be able to buy either day passes or memberships once pricing is set.
What To Expect At The Saunagoose
The Saunagoose website lays out a village-style design that centers on a panoramic communal sauna, with bookable private saunas in both wood-fired and electric setups. There are also plans for ice-tempered cold plunges and wood-fired hot tubs, plus changing rooms, showers and ADA-compliant pathways, according to The Saunagoose.
The team also plans guided saunagus sessions, a Nordic ritual that blends heat, scent and towel choreography inside the sauna. On the social side, the project calls for an on-site café, a rotating lineup of food trucks and riverfront fire pits aimed at keeping people lingering after dark, per The Saunagoose.
Where It Will Sit On The Riverfront
The proposed site is in the Flats' Scranton Peninsula, across the river from Tower City and within walking distance of new breweries and recent apartment developments. That stretch of Carter Road already includes a BrewDog outpost and the Collins apartments, and the peninsula's public-trail planning and riverfront improvements have turned the area into a magnet for new waterfront uses, according to Cleveland Metroparks.
Opening Timeline And Tickets
The Saunagoose lists an opening window of late summer to early fall 2026 and is already taking signups for founding memberships. Detailed pricing and session rates are expected to be announced this summer. Cleveland Scene reported that rates had not yet been decided, and that the developers plan to offer both day passes and membership options.
Why It Matters
Developers and city planners have been steadily reimagining the Scranton Peninsula as a riverfront extension of downtown, and Saunagoose would add a year-round attraction that keeps people on the waterfront well past sunset. That rising level of activity, including new apartment buildings, restaurants and river taxi plans, has been noted by local reporting and neighborhood planners, per Cleveland Magazine.
The founders say they hope Saunagoose will give Clevelanders a fresh excuse to get outside in all four seasons, blending Nordic ritual, wellness culture and riverfront nightlife. For now, the project is still in planning review; anyone curious can join the announcement list for updates as the team finalizes permits, pricing and an official opening date.
