Chicago gay bathhouse
Welcome To Chicago Bath House
Restaurant - Sauna - Spa - Tanning - & More
About
Discover Traditional Bath Residence & Spa
Our Story
Chicago Bath Residence is a traditional bathhouse at 1914 W. Division Street in the Wicker Park neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois, which has operated since 1906.
The recent convert 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!!
Venue Gallery
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Tetimonials
What our clients have to say...
“I've been here twice. Very unique, but relaxing and decadent experience. 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
Located in Chicago, Steamworks Baths is a huge, multi-level gay bathhouse, famous for its vast array of facilities. Spread over three floors, it boasts an expansive wet area with a unique steam room, a sprawling scorching tub, and a sizeable weight room. The venue offers private room rentals, a gym (where shoes and bottoms are required), and lockers with secure lockboxes for valuables. Patrons have appreciated the approachable staff and the availability of free condoms. Remark 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 fun is clothed in implied okay.
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, friendly staff, and the vibrant atmosphere during events. Visitors appreciate the large steam rooms, warm tubs, and the clea
Anna Erickson likes to walk around her Chicago neighborhood of Pilsen. A social studies teacher 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 Public Bath,” yet there’s no bathhouse running in there these days. (In fact, it’s zoned to become residential someday.)
Anna’s passed that building so many times that she eventually asked Curious Capital to figure out something that regularly gnaws at her: “There’s a general bathhouse in my neighborhood. What happened to the other bathhouses?”
You may have had a similiar question if you’ve ever passed one of these old facades or even the occasional operating bathhouse in the city. But defining Chicago’s experience with “bathhouses” is complicated. The word’s applied to diverse kinds of places, ranging from a place for the poor to scrub down; a place to have sex but then catch a show; and a place to pamper yourself with extreme heat and cold you would never tolerate anywhere else, let alone pay for the privilege
It’s month eight of the pandemic, and while some might be wishfully thinking about enjoying a drink from their favorite bar or ordering their favorite meal in person in the hopefully not-too-distant future, others are waiting for when they can indulge in pleasures that are harder to command to-go.
On its exterior, Steamworks is rather unremarkable. Its door isn’t clearly labeled. There aren’t any posters or advertisements on the side of the building. It looks more like an armory or a warehouse than anything else.
But in true if you know, you know fashion, the space opens up once you’re inside, past a check-in counter to a complex that includes a gym, a steam room, and saunas, as well as private rooms and public spaces to have sex—often called “play spaces”—and the opportunities they present.
To the untrained eye, gay bathhouses like Steamworks are mere dens of iniquity, where taps on the bathroom floor, a lingering glance, or a door ajar says much more than you’d expect; but to the initiated and the experienced, they are indeed that, but also so much more.
“Yes, they’re about sex,” says Gary Wa
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