 Front view of the spa The European Health Spa was in the New York metropolitan area but this was its largest location. The spa opened in 1968 and has had multiple owners throughout the years, including Jack LaLanne and Bally Total Fitness. Bally Total Fitness signed a 10 year lease in 1992 but once they realized the property wasn't a good fit since it was too small, they shut this location down but continued to pay rent while trying to market the property. Dilmaghani had a tenant lined up to fill the space when the Bally lease was up but when the company got the property back and inspected it, they found it was in "seriously deteriorated condition". The guidelines that would have to be met for environmental efforts during renovation would cost somewhere around $100,000 in engineering, architectural, and legal fees.   What made the health spa "european" was its scandinavian ice plunge which was a form of hydrotherapy meant to help ease muscle aches, increase blood flow, and apparently even cure a hangover. Since the spa changed hands multiple times, it cycled between being a health club and spa and a gym and fitness club.  When reading through the comments on an article written about the spa, I noticed that one user by the name of "John Henry" mentioned that he had worked for a company that was installing a sound system when building was first opening and he recalls them having a live tiger in a glass enclosure until they had to remove it. After extensive research I finally found the reports of the health spa's tiger. According to a 1971 New York Times article, the health spa had kept the 400 pound, 3 year old Siberian tiger named Tuffy in a glass cage until the humane society stepped in. During the summer, Sue Pressman, a zoologist and investigator for The Humane Society visited the health spa to investigate after she had received complaints about a tiger in captivity. Pressman determined the case was too small for this 400 pound tiger and urged management to give the animal up to a more equipped and appropriate facility like a zoo. The club claimed that the animal was healthy and well-cared for so they refused to remove the tiger from the spa. Complaints continued and in the beginning of October the State Attorney General's Office subpoenaed the club officials to discuss the tiger and its living conditions. Rather than answering questions, the club's attorney Henry M. Holzer asked Mrs. Pressman to find Tuffy a suitable home. Mrs. Pressman picked The Brownsville Zoo in Texas as her first choice because they had plenty of space and other tigers for Tuffy to be with.  What remains of this European Health Spa perplexes both residents and visitors. The round fortress surrounded by windows is set behind a giant Atlas statue that has long lost its globe. Dennis Dilmaghani, the president of Mehdi Dilmaghani & Co. Inc, owns the building and has refused to sell it even though there have been multiple offers and he is doing nothing with the property. references Faranda, J. Philip. "Scarsdale, NY: European Health Spa." J. Philip's New York Photo Blog, 4 May 2009, nyphotoblog.wordpress.com/2009/05/04/scarsdale-ny-european-health-spa/.
Halpern, W. Dyer. "Ask Westchester, September 2012: Abandoned Health Club on Central Avenue in Scarsdale." Westchester Magazine, 22 Aug. 2012, "Club in Scarsdale Donates Its Tiger To New Texas Zoo." The New York Times, 7 Oct. 1971. Yasinac, Rob. "European Health Spa." Hudson Valley Ruins, 13 Mar. 2004, www.hudsonvalleyruins.org/yasinsac/ehs/ehs.html.
32 Comments
Jeff
1/24/2020 04:22:43 pm
I joined this club in 1973. You need to have been a young person like I was back then: health and sex went hand-in-hand. Strong, healthy bodies meant lots of sexual encounters. Remember: this was before the AIDS epidemic and STDs were easily avoidable. It was a very long time ago and a lot of us made many foolish decisions. RIP European Health Spas.
Jeff
2/7/2020 09:07:27 pm
It was the 70's, I was only up there a few times between 1972 and 1977 when I took leave in the military. It may well have been a "swinger's" club back then, I wasn't around it that much. Sort of "Gone With The Wind," you know? I'm an old man now and that was 40 years ago.
Sami
9/26/2020 10:03:34 am
Hey Jeff, thank you so much for commenting! It’s always great to see that people with personal connections have found their way to my site! I would love to talk to you a little more about your experience if you are interested! Let me know!
Jeff
9/26/2020 08:01:28 pm
Oh my gosh, Sami. This was so long ago. It's too bad this club has gone into disrepair, it was awesome in its day! And JAMMED every time you went there, it didn't matter what time it was. So incredibly cool. 8/2/2020 11:24:39 am
I was a fitness trainer at the club in Tampa, Fla. in the early 1980s and it was a great gym. I got to work out with Peter Lupis,, Richard Jackel, Rocky Johnson and Buddy Colt. The clubs were split up and sold off after deregulation but till then it was the best in the world. Jack Williams.
Robert McColum
10/4/2020 11:12:36 am
Does anyone remember any poker games at this site. I have poker chips with European Health Spa Hot Stamped on the face of some chips ???
Michele
12/29/2020 12:13:22 am
I used to work out there in the 80's because they had on site babysitting. 3/14/2023 05:57:04 pm
OMG it was still running in the 80s!!
Vickie Hyde
1/29/2021 06:47:59 pm
I worked at the Monroeville Spa in 1968-69 and again in '74-75. I helped to open the Scarsdale Sa which was exactly like the Monroeville Spa without the tiger. I also worked at Greentree, North Hills and The Bigelow in Downtown Pittsburgh, all owned by Don Perry. And NO, it was not a swingers club, at least not when I worked there..
Bonita
6/16/2021 05:29:05 pm
I worked out at all European Spa’s except the North Hills location. I have the gold necklace of the man holding the globe & the gold ring (a lifetime ring for members) was past on to me from my mother. It was not a swingers club.
Jack
3/14/2022 10:28:42 am
Hello Vickie, did your club have men's or women's nights? Because that was how our local club in Kennewick Washington worked. Men's on Monday Wednesday, Friday. Women on Tuesday, Thursday and then have family nights on Sat or Sunday where everyone could go.
Vickie
5/16/2022 02:36:20 pm
All Pittsburgh clubs had Women's and Men's separate nights except the Bigelow. There the men's gym was on the first floor, where a lot of the Steelers worked out. The parking garage was on the 2nd floor. Ladies' and pools were on the 3rd, along with a juice bar. Rocky Blier used to drink juice after his workout.
John Stewart
6/16/2021 07:34:56 pm
I belonged to the Park Ave NYC location.
Chance Laugginger
7/17/2021 01:47:24 pm
This is incredibly awesome. I like seeing this thread of all the history. I believe at one time in the 70s these Spa Health Clubs were managed and or owned by my late uncle Wayne Wilborn. I dont know the whole story behind it all, but he had storys of the Tiger in the cage fondly. If anyone had any pictures of this location in its hayday please feel free to post.
Dennis
5/2/2022 05:38:03 pm
I was a friend and co worker of Wayne. Lots of great memories. I personaly removed the Tiger cage. I also was friend with Ann Duda, what a great lady. My office was at the base of the Scarsdale location.
Chance Laugginger
6/15/2022 09:32:46 am
Wow that is awesome to hear. Please feel free to reach out to me via email. I definitely would like to talk with you. [email protected]
Joe Gregory
9/27/2021 05:44:32 pm
I belonged to European Health Spa in 1970 in Richmond, Virginia. It was a club that was ahead of its time, even now, at least in the Richmond area, no club has all the perks that they had. It was a great place to work out, wish it was still around.
Vickie Hyde
9/28/2021 05:08:57 am
I worked at the Bigelow when a lot of the Pittsburgh Steelers worked out there. They were awesome and so was the European Health Spa!
Kim
10/4/2021 04:40:41 am
I went to the spa in Denver in the 70's (actually Englewood) . I LOVED that place. It had all the exercise machines, but the best part was the pool, whirlpool, the icy plunge pool, but the absolute favorite of mine was the eucalyptus steam room. And if there was any swingers there I never saw any evidence. It was such a great place I still miss it 40+years later 1/3/2022 01:24:16 pm
Yes, the European Health Spa was ahead of its time... circa 1971-2 in WAYNE, NJ... a stones throw from the new Willowbrook Mall at Rts. 23 & 46 and 80... just 20 minutes west of Manhattan. It was set in a lush, botanical glade of green trees and the structural design was modern yet... one would have thought they were entering a nouveau Art Museum on The Continent. A glistening statue of Atlas on bent knees struggling to hold a globe on his shoulders is the image caught most in my mind's eye whenever I think of the special place. That... and the cleanliness inside, well, it was new so it should have been, right... but, it made one feel special, bc it felt like the fitness preserve of wealthy captains of Industry and, after all, I was only accustomed to swimming at The Y in Clifton on Main St. Different strokes for different folks. The art on the walls and fine appointments, the beautiful Olympic-sized pool, weight rooms, the fantastic teaky, Swedish sauna, the EUCALYPTUS ROOM! (gotta have it in my shower now!) and then -- the ICE PLUNGE! What doesn't kill ya makes ya harder! All I can say is THANK YOU, Mr. Petts and Bobby for sharing your membership with me all those years ago, that indeed was The Life... I'll go p/u the Bombay Gin now & some OJ -- then meet ya back on Alps Road! ~Billy
Meredith
1/26/2022 07:51:26 am
I joined the European Health Spa in Atlanta, Georgia in the early 1970's. I have (had?) a lifetime membership. Little did I know that was a dumb thing to do back then when I was young. They were sold and I was told that the membership list was not available. So the largest purchase I ever made in my 20's is no longer accessible. I guess if I ever come across my original membership card, I can give it a try! It was really a wonderful place. New, clean and luxurious. They knew how to pamper us too. These photos of the original are incredible! I enjoyed reading this information. Now I know why I purchased a lifetime membership! It was very cool!
J.R.
5/16/2022 02:16:02 pm
Wow!! I worked at the Atlanta Regional Office, of European Health Spas. The office was located Circle 75 Parkway, across from what is now the Atlanta Braves Stadium. I enjoyed my time at EHS. Handled customer accounts. The best part was, I got a Free membership to the Spas. Was in the best shape I ever was!!
Ri
6/8/2022 03:34:16 pm
I managed this spa for Bally's in the mid 80's. On the lower level, where the ice plunge was located, was a large round whirlpool hot tub build into the floor. The round wall surrounding the whirlpool was an intricate mosaic tile painting of Roman Gods enjoying themselves. On the lowest level there was a swimming pool. The building had many hidden spaces. Once while exploring the pool area we discoved a hallway with many small rooms hidden behind a wall. We believed these rooms were used for the sexual activities of the members.
Mary
6/19/2022 11:53:26 pm
My favorite was the glass water spa one located ( I think) on route 51.
Mike Hunt
8/19/2022 03:26:19 pm
There was dome kind of racketeering situation there in the late 80’s 9/20/2022 02:16:12 pm
What made the health spa european was its scandinavian ice plunge which was a form of hydrotherapy meant to help ease muscle aches, increase blood flow, Thank you for making this such an awesome post!
David Pedersen
11/5/2022 04:43:37 am
I was an exercise instructor at the Hampton Va location in 1980-1981. I have many fond memories of my time there-.The people I worked with were very nice and professional, and I became friends with many of the members. It was NOT a swingers club,because the days were staggered (male,female),and all the females who worked there daily were treated with the utmost respect. Back in the late '60's my Mom got me to join and we convinced enough friends to join that we both received Lifetime Memberships. After playing ice hockey I'd do the whirlpool, eucalyptus scented sauna and have a swim in the pool then finish off with the Juice Bar for a freshly made, complete with raw egg "Tiger's Milk". European Health Spa on Kingsway in Burnaby, B.C.,Canada was state of the art, for it's time.
Vickie
3/15/2023 07:32:36 am
Reading over all of these comments is very interesting. I noticed my remarks about the tiger. We did have a tiger at the Monroeville Spa. He was in a glass cage behind the juice bar, which may seem inhumane, but it opened onto a runway that he could run down into a large area below for exercise, or so I'm told. The glass got a crack in it and the tiger had to be removed. I'm not sure if the crack was the reason or something else, inhumanity perhaps, but I felt relieved because I felt a little anxious, wondering if someday Brutus would decide to join us on the other side of the bar.
Bonnie
3/28/2024 07:01:49 pm
I love the Europa Health Spa the one I used to go to and worked the juice bar was off of Michigan Street in Orlando I still have my drink list!! But I really like the cool plunge When it close it be came Holiday Spa. Today it is a men’s Club! Let’s not forget the Orange ave gym it was hard core in the day Also the old Ballys. But i will say i have met my best friend Etta Timmerman Sheids at Pumping Iron gym in the late 80,s Keep on pushing that Iron
victoria king
4/10/2024 08:19:58 am
I have a lifetime membership that I purchasedin 1971...is there any where that this club is still operating??? thank you Leave a Reply. |
