Entry No. 15 — the Sacramento file — filed under: float tank
Capitol Floats
Three large sensory-deprivation float tanks plus a 'Fire & Ice' contrast room and a Somadome pod sit inside a converted Oak Park storefront — Sacramento's original float center, built specifically for people trying to switch their nervous system off rather than just relax.
The story
In a city built on high-strung state politics and heavy summer heat, Capitol Floats opened on Broadway in 2016 as Sacramento's original sensory deprivation outpost. Founder Duey didn't design the Oak Park storefront to be a eucalyptus-scented day spa; the goal was much more straightforward—building a controlled environment dedicated to turning off your nervous system.
The mechanics are simple but drastic: custom eight-foot-tall tanks filled with roughly a foot of water loaded with enough Epsom salt to make you instantly, effortlessly buoyant. The water is kept at skin temperature, so once you step inside, plug your ears, and kill the lights, the boundary where your body ends and the water begins completely dissolves. Without gravity, sound, or temperature cues to process, your brain stops tracking time the way it usually does.
Over the years, the facility has expanded beyond pure lightless isolation into thermal contrast therapy. You can stack a float session with their 'Fire & Ice' room, infrared saunas, or a sleek, egg-like Somadome pod. You didn't hear it from us, but taking your brain into absolute void for an hour on a weekday afternoon is the most efficient factory reset available inside city limits.
What it's like
The storefront on Broadway is quiet and sterile in the exact way you want a facility handling sensory deprivation to be. You get a private suite with your own shower, earplugs, and tank. The first ten minutes of a float are a weird wrestling match as your brain tries to generate sensory input out of nothing, but eventually the mental chatter dies down. Post-float, don't rush straight back out to your car—sit in the post-float lounge for a few minutes while your spatial awareness recalibrates.
The move: Book back-to-back private float sessions (you never share a tank), then regroup in the post-float lounge to compare what a body-temperature saltwater tank does to your sense of time before finishing with the infrared sauna.
- 📍 Oak Park, Sacramento
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Low-key
- 🌗 Indoor or outdoor
Where: 3513 Broadway, Sacramento, CA 95817
Hours: Added 2026-07-20 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- Asha Urban Baths — Trade total lightless isolation for a communal, warm-water soak just three minutes west down the Broadway corridor.
- Botanica Cubayende — Head south into lower Oak Park to swap sensory deprivation for an altar-packed Santería shop overflowing with saint statues and clay vessels.
- Dragon House — Drive a mile west into Curtis Park while your brain is still in a float-dazed state to inspect a suburban bungalow entirely covered in hand-set mosaic tiles.
Good to know
Do I need to wear a swimsuit?
No. Float rooms are entirely private and lockable, complete with individual showers. Most people float without clothing to avoid tactile distractions against their skin.
Can two people float in the same tank?
No, floats are strictly single-occupancy to preserve complete sensory isolation. If you come with someone, book simultaneous private sessions in separate tanks and meet up in the lounge afterward.
What amenities are available besides the float tanks?
The Oak Park location also features a 'Fire & Ice' contrast room, an infrared sauna, and a Somadome pod designed for targeted light and sound immersion.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · kelva.guide · kcra.com
last checked: 2026-07-20