Driftwood Sauna Club opens Milwaukee riverfront saunas with shark-cage cold plunge

Driftwood Sauna Club quietly opened in mid-February on the Milwaukee River outside The Cooperage, offering contrast-therapy sessions that pair 15-minute stints in 170-200°F saunas with ladder-led dips into the river via a custom-built "shark cage," BizTimes and the Driftwood website report. The owners, Derek and Sarah Collins, planned a public launch party for Saturday, March 7 featuring music, sauna and plunge sessions, food from South Water Snacks, drinks from Boone & Crockett, a free drink for attendees and a chance to win a free unlimited membership.

Sessions run 60-120 minutes and are marketed as a circuit of dry heat and cold plunge in the "true Nordic way," with pricing reported at $30-$400 depending on party size and duration. The site and BizTimes describe the club as teaching newcomers the Nordic ritual and promise a "Waterfront Sauna & Cold Plunge Experience" and "Cold Enough to Make You Feel Alive" as part of the marketing copy.

Two custom saunas by Milwaukee woodworker Andy Shacklady of Shacklady Designs sit on the riverfront. The larger social sauna is named The Hemlock and is finished in hemlock; The Alder is a quieter, alder-walled room that seats eight. Sources differ on Hemlock seating: BizTimes reports seating for up to 16, while Driftwood's site lists Hemlock as holding up to 15 people. The site also calls the saunas "custom, connected saunas," suggesting an adjacent layout outside The Cooperage.

The cold-plunge differentiator is central to the Collinses' pitch. Sarah Collins told BizTimes, "The primary differentiator between us and our two competitors is our cold plunge. When you cold plunge, your feet really get cold really quickly, so our (concept) is nice because you climb down a ladder and you can lower your body into the water quickly so that your inner temperature drops better, which helps with recovery and (adheres to) the Nordic style." Derek Collins added, "We welcome all Milwaukeeans who want to sweat like a Scandinavian. It's the true Nordic way, combining circuits of dry heat and cold plunge. The river is just cold enough to make you feel alive." Driftwood's site leans into the novelty with lines such as, "No sharks. Just pure Milwaukee vibes, good times, and that so easily-achieveable 'high-state' without the next day hangover."

On-site amenities include showers and a fire pit and tie-ins with the owners' Boone & Crockett for drinks and South Water Snacks for food at the launch. The site notes a practical operational caveat: "Showers are only allowed when the temperature is above 32°F because it is Wisconsin, after all." Both BizTimes and the site stress the shark-cage plunge and ladder entry as the mechanism for quick immersion into Milwaukee River water, while safety staffing, permits, life-saving protocols and detailed membership terms were not disclosed in the materials reviewed.

Driftwood positions itself against local competitors by highlighting its river plunge and location outside The Cooperage; BizTimes notes Hot Spell is now seasonal at McKinley Marina after operating at The Cooperage last winter, and Heat Haven Sauna Park operates in Wauwatosa. The Driftwood website also carries a copyright notice dated 2020, which contrasts with the BizTimes account of a mid-February 2026 opening. Those discrepancies on Hemlock capacity, river versus Inner Harbor wording, price breakdowns, seasonality and safety staffing remain unconfirmed in public materials as Driftwood begins its public weekend programming. If the March 7 launch draws the traffic that inspired the concept, Derek and Sarah Collins aim to make the riverfront ritual a repeat stop on Milwaukee's wellness map.