Embrace destruction: Rage rooms provided opportunities to release aggression by breaking things
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- Lane Smith, Tiffany Smith, Kayla Routsong and Hailey Fredericks smash items at Smash It Rage Rooms in Orem on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026.
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- Georgina Felix smashes a bottle as Karla Arias watches at Smash It Rage Rooms in Orem on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026.
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- Georgina Felix smashes an old glass scale with a sledgehammer at Smash It Rage Rooms in Orem on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026.
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- Georgina Felix (left) and Karla Arias select items to smash at Smash It Rage Rooms in Orem on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026.
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- The Spatter It room shows where visitors can throw paint on the walls, on canvas and on each other at Smash It Rage Rooms in Orem on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026.
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- A sign welcomes visitors to Smash It Rage Rooms in Orem on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026.
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- Georgina Felix smashes a glass bottle at Smash It Rage Rooms in Orem on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026.
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- Tiffany Smith, Hailey Fredericks and Kayla Routsong pose as Lane Smith takes a picture at Smash It Rage Rooms in Orem on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026.
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- Georgina Felix smashes an old clock with a sledgehammer at Smash It Rage Rooms in Orem on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026.
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- Lane Smith and Tiffany Smith smash items at Smash It Rage Rooms in Orem on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026.
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- Georgina Felix smashes an old lamp at Smash It Rage Rooms in Orem on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026.
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- Karla Arias smashes an old radio with a crowbar at Smash It Rage Rooms in Orem on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026.
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- Lane Smith, Tiffany Smith, Kayla Routsong and Hailey Fredericks smash items at Smash It Rage Rooms in Orem on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026.
Everyone has had the urge to just pulverize something.
Sometimes it’s a reaction to stress or frustration. Sometimes it’s curiosity about what it would feel like to see something shatter.
But throughout life the instruction has almost always been to not break or damage things, so usually we suppress those destructive impulses.
If you get to a breaking point, though, there are places to that are there to provide an outlet.
Rage rooms are based on the concept of paying for time and items to have the satisfaction of destroying them.
“You can’t let your frustration out in the regular world,” said Kyle Varga, the owner of Smash It Rage Rooms. “This is a great, healthy way to do it in a controlled environment. Who hasn’t had the idea of putting a baseball bat through a windshield? You can do it — and boy, is it fun.”
Smash It Rage Rooms (which has been around since 2019 and has locations in Oren, Salt Lake City and Ogden) and its counterparts provide materials, safety equipment, direction and space to enjoy breaking things.
Varga explained that the concept is simple: Select smashable items from a collection of options, pay for them by the pound, take them to a room and bash them into smithereens.
“The pricing really is going to depend on how much someone wants to break,” Varga said. “We charge a small room fee, just per the room, and then it’s all based on per pound. Some people will come in and break one to two things and be happy. Some people will come in and want to break more and more and more. Like, When I was working in the store, the most I’ve seen is someone came back and got more stuff four times.”
He said that part of the fun is deciding for yourself what you want to bash.
“We do believe that it’s way more fun when you get to pick what you want to break, instead of just being handed a bunch of stuff,” Varga said. “Once you have the stuff you want, you go back to the rage room and just let it all loose and break everything.”
Possible items available at Smash It Rage Rooms include a variety of windshields, electronics, old glassware, lamps, clocks and many others.
“Everyone in my staff has different favorites, but if I can take a baseball bat to a windshield, it’s truly enlightening,” Varga said. “That’s a ton of fun. Take a sledgehammer to a printer is a ton of fun. And then if there’s a vacuum, swinging it against the metal wall is a blast. There’s just something about swinging something into destruction instead of hitting it with something that is actually amazing. Those are usually my top three go to items when I go in with friends or family.”
Smash It Rage Rooms also has a specific Throw Zone where customers can shatter glass bottles and a Splatter It room where they can throw paint on the walls, on canvas, or even on each other.
“People have a blast doing that as well,” Varga said.
It may sound somewhat risky to be in the rage rooms as electronic and glass items are being demolished with bats, sledgehammers and crowbars, but Varga said they’ve worked to ensure that participants are safe.
“You’re not here to come and accidentally get hurt,” he said. “Maybe it could happen, but most people who get hurt usually because they’re not listening to the rules. Generally if you follow the rules, the chances of anyone getting hurt are very low.”
He said that they’ve found the benefits far outweigh the risks, particularly for individuals who are going through tough times.
“We’ve got a lot of people who just come in for birthday parties or corporate events or date nights, and they’re just here to have a good time,” Varga said. “And that’s amazing. But I think the ones that stick with you when you’re working in the store are really the emotional ones.”
He has had experiences with patrons who have dealt with difficult traumas and emotional challenges, and seen them embrace the chance to find some release.
“I remember a mom who came in the day after her child had died, and it’s like, oh my,” Varga said. “There’s no comprehending how much pain or anguish they’re going through and I hope I never have to experience that, but if I can help them provide a way to let out some of that anger, I am happy we can be there and do that for them. There’s a lot of people going through experiences that most of us never have to and if we can help them any way we can, then we’d love to do it.”
But whether you find the experience therapeutic or just want to enjoy yourself, Varga said rage rooms are places to find freedom.
“People generally get loud and yelling,” he said. “There’s nothing really quite like it, because you don’t get to experience it in most of your life. We’re taught from a very young age to be careful with our toys, to be careful with everything. Then to come here and be like, Oh, wait, we can break it. We can throw it. The whole purpose is literally to let loose and do what we’re not programmed to do. It’s honestly a truly free experience.”
For more information on Smash It Rage Rooms, go to https://smash-itragerooms.com or check out other rage room facilities near you.
