Gay chicago bathhouse
This New Year’s Eve at Man’s Country, a Chicago bathhouse open since 1973, hundreds of men, women, transgender and nonbinary people showed out for a dance party celebrating the last hours of a queer American landmark.
Appropriately titled “Loose Ends,” the closing event was part funeral, part rebirth and all hedonistic rager. Patrons danced, cruised, drank, caressed, hallucinated, sauna’d and paid their respects from before midnight to well past 11 AM. It was both a throwback to the venue’s heyday, before the internet made many bathhouses feel obsolete, and a glimpse at what could have been had they thrown more events like this, which harmonious sleaze with sociability and made the place appealing to those beyond the aging gay generation for which it was once a mecca.
Man’s Country wore its history on its walls, with portraits of famous patrons, nude men, and other artwork throughout reminding visitors that this wasn’t some staid, humorless bathhouse. In the basement (dubbed “The Pit,”) a huge sauna—once billed as the largest in the Midwest—sat opposite a shower and wet area modeled after Parisian sewers. In its past,
Located in Chicago, Steamworks Baths is a large, multi-level gay bathhouse, accepted for its expansive array of facilities. Spread over three floors, it boasts an expansive soaked area with a unique steam room, a sprawling warm tub, and a sizeable weight room. The venue proposals private room rentals, a gym (where shoes and bottoms are required), and lockers with secure lockboxes for valuables. Patrons have appreciated the friendly staff and the availability of free condoms. Note that the venue upholds a strict bag policy for safety reasons, an aspect that has sparked mixed reviews. The crowd and vibe fluctuate, with weekends traditionally busier, contributing to a dynamic atmosphere where all amusement is clothed in implied consent.
LGBTQ+ AFFILIATION
Exclusive
2
Friendly
1
Owner
1
Popular
1
TARGET AUDIENCE
Men
2
VENUE TYPE
Sauna
2
Reviews summary
Steamworks Baths Chicago receives mixed reviews, with a significant number of patrons praising its extensive facilities, warm staff, and the vibrant atmosphere during events. Visitors recognize the large steam rooms, hot tubs, and the clea
Welcome To Chicago Bath House
Restaurant - Sauna - Spa - Tanning - & More
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Discover Traditional Bath Dwelling & Spa
Our Story
Chicago Bath House is a traditional bathhouse at 1914 W. Division Street in the Wicker Park neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois, which has operated since 1906.
The recent change in ownership in 2011 and complete renovation of the facility now provides for all original services and more. Careful modernization of the facility was taken with understanding of all traditional values and current spa amenities. We also added a full bar, restaurant, tanning, scrub and other salon services.
Chicago Bath House is the oldest and only traditional bathhouse remaining in Chicago, and one of only a handful in the United States. Come and join us!!
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“I've been here twice. Very unusual, but relaxing and decadent trial. I have been to Russia once and this place is filled with reminders from my trip. Please take a moment to look at the ph
Anna Erickson likes to walk around her Chicago neighborhood of Pilsen. A social studies educator and history enthusiast, she says she can’t help but notice this odd brick building she often passes; it sits right in the middle of a residential block, and it has large Roman-style stone columns. Above the door, an inscription reads “Chicago General Bath,” yet there’s no bathhouse running in there these days. (In proof, it’s zoned to become residential someday.)
Anna’s passed that building so many times that she eventually asked Curious City to figure out something that regularly gnaws at her: “There’s a public bathhouse in my neighborhood. What happened to the other bathhouses?”
You may have had a similiar ask if you’ve ever passed one of these old facades or even the occasional operating bathhouse in the town. But defining Chicago’s experience with “bathhouses” is complicated. The word’s applied to different kinds of places, ranging from a place for the poor to scrub down; a place to contain sex but then catch a show; and a place to pamper yourself with extreme heat and cold you would never tolerate anywhere else, enable alone pay for the privilege