Adventures in Researching the History of Finnish Sauna in North America

Risto revisits his presentation from the Upper Peninsula History Conference in Marquette, Michigan: “Adventures in Researching the History of Finnish Sauna in North America.” From rare books and university archives to remote smoke saunas and unusual online discoveries, he shares more than a decade of exploring Finnish-American sauna culture. Along the way, he highlights historic public saunas, notable researchers, 360-degree sauna photography, favorite sauna books, and practical ways anyone can begin researching sauna history. The journey takes us through Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, Minnesota, Wisconsin, New York, and beyond—and proves that sauna research can happen in a library, out in the field, or even from your couch. LINKS https://www.theupperbench.com   / upper.bench.podcast     / theupperbench