Herculaneum has two sets of thermae. The older and larger baths are convenient to the Forum and the center of town, and are laid out on a familiar, standard plan. The newer suburban baths, situated right on the Bay, are a gift of the Balbus family (and incidentally are directly connected to the Balbus house by a private passageway).

Set snugly into the line of the old city walls near the House of the Mosaic Atrium and the Sacred Area, the suburban baths have it all: the usual tepid room, sauna, hot room, and cold plunge; and unusual glassed-in skylights, elegant stuccoes, and wood panelling; along with a dining room and private lounges. Graffiti in the lounges has much to say about the patrons of the baths.

From within the city, you will be able to visit the Thermae Suburbanae by walking west from the Palaestra, south past the House of the Mosaic Atrium, and through the Marine Gate.

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