Categories: Lifestyle

Vancouver is getting a floating sauna experience on a restored barge from the 1940s

Photo via HAVN and the Vancouver Maritime Museum

If you’re a big sauna lover, we’ve got some exciting news to share. HAVN is officially docking its floating spa experience at the Vancouver Maritime Museum, and we can’t think of a better place for its converted historic barge to live.

A few months into its inception, HAVN took a restored naval barge from the 1940s — once a place of urgency and emergency — and turned it into a transformative, relaxing experience where people could find a moment of stillness.

The 150-foot barge came from an old mariner who was retiring and selling off his assets, according to HAVN. Originally built in 1943, it was part of an entire fleet of workshop barges commissioned for the U.S. Navy, designed to repair vessels during emergencies at sea.

To create its signature floating wellness journey, HAVN first stripped the historic barge of its insulation and cables and then worked tirelessly for months. Finally, HAVN Sauna made it to Victoria’s Inner Harbour, where it has since remained.

HAVN has three saunas onboard that vary in temperature; two have optional water to be added to the rocks, and one is dry. It’s possible that this new partnership with the Vancouver Maritime Museum may add even more to the experience — only time will tell.

“HAVN has been searching for the right Vancouver location for nearly two years, and we could not be more thrilled,” says Nicholas Van Buren, CEO and founder of HAVN Saunas. “Vancouver Maritime Museum’s harbour offers an iconic, meaningful setting; this partnership allows us to bring a uniquely captivating marine experience to the city.”

As public funding is essential to the survival of the museum, this partnership marks an exciting chapter for both parties. There’s nothing more “Vancouver” than a floating wellness experience by the beach, and its location will provide a new revenue stream to support the Vancouver Maritime Museum’s educational and community programming.

While it’s still early for a lot of the details, including an official opening date, the museum says that the anticipated launch will be sometime in mid-2027.

Stay tuned for more info to come!