Lake Steam Baths, 3540 W. Colfax

Lake Steam Baths was opened on Colfax Avenue at Lowell Boulevard by Russian immigrants Ethyl and Harry Hyman for fellow Jewish residents in the West Colfax neighborhood. The Hymans fled persecution and war in their homeland and landed among the diaspora of other Jewish settlers from across the globe. They opened the bath house, which, according to a GoFundMe launched in 2020 during the early months of the pandemic, the Hymans built “brick by brick,” to create a community space that also embraced the health benefits of traditional Russian- and Turkish-style steam baths. 

The property was sold by Amy Hyman, who inherited the business and continued to operate it in the years following the 2015 death of her husband Hannon Hyman, a grandchild of Ethyl and Harry.

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The 10,000-square-foot Lake Steam Baths building on West Colfax Avenue sold in October 2022 for about $2 million, but many in the city breathed a sigh of relief when the new owners quickly confirmed to BusinessDen that their plans include a redevelopment of the property that will “incorporate the business.” Those plans are still in progress, and the new owners Scott Kilkinney and Tyler Weston have kept the bathhouse open to the public in the time since. In January they began what The Denver Post described, per Weston, as “a moderate remodeling” to “fix dilapidated structures,” all of which points to a positive future for a space that’s been a local fixture since 1927.

Historic Denver has engaged the new owners in conversation and will continue to work with them as they develop their plans. We’ll provide updates as things progress.