The main entrance on via dell'Abbondanza leads to a large courtyard. The pool is found to the left, whereas a colonnade is found to the right, which leads to the men's quarters, which are split into the apodyterium (dressing room), with the frigidarium (for cold baths), which leads to the tepidarium (for medium temperature baths) and then to the calidarium (for hot baths).

The heating was guaranteed by a piping system in the walls and double floors that circulated the hot air coming from the furnaces and from mobile braziers. The women's quarters, close to the men's quarters, was split the same way in the apodyterium, tepidarium and calidarium. However, all were smaller and had no rich decorations as the men's quarters. Women entered through a separate door, on which “Mulier” (woman) was written, in the NW corner of the courtyard, which opens on to via del Lupanare.

The separation of the sexes was normal practice in the ancient world.

The Stabian baths, which date back to the 2nd century BC, are among the oldest we know of the Roman world.

Date of excavation: 1853-1857; 1865.