New Waldo County business will let you smash things to blow off steam

A new Searsmont business will soon give its customers the chance to release any pent-up frustration by breaking glass objects, blasting loud music, bursting liquid-filled balloons and committing other forms of controlled destruction.
The operation, called The Rage Release, is due to open Nov. 22. When it does, it’ll be one of several so-called rage room businesses that have opened around Maine in recent years, though it would be the first in Waldo County.
Such businesses generally require guests to wear protective clothing, goggles and headgear to ensure they’re safely destroying stuff.
“It’s a fun, safe way of relieving stress, and creating new memories,” said Gail Gary Cox, the owner of the business.
Cox, who has several businesses, is opening The Rage Release in a large garage space on a residential property that she owns at 109 New England Road.
She is dividing it into multiple rooms that will provide customers with different types of experience. In some, they’ll be able to destroy or beat up a variety of objects, including wine glasses and bottles, stuffed animals or even a vehicle. Blunt objects such as baseball bats will be available. (The business is now accepting donations of old furniture and appliances people want to dispose of.)
In other rooms, customers will be able to explode balloons filled with paint or water. For those seeking a less tactile experience, there will also be options for dancing or screaming to music.
Fees will range from $10 to $250, depending on the activity, the number of participants and the length of time.
While there are a few other rage room businesses further south along the coast and in central Maine, one unique aspect of Cox’s is that kids younger than 10 will be able to use it, although they may be confined to less destructive activities. Any customers younger than 18 will need to have a guardian present.
The inspiration for Cox’s business came from her own family’s experience.
“One of my stepsons was having a lot of pent-up stress, and didn’t know what to do with that. He was hiding out in his room a lot, internalizing a lot of feelings,” Cox said.
Not knowing where else to turn, Cox took her stepson to a similar business in Winslow called All the Rage (which has since relocated to Vassalboro).
“We took him there for 15 minutes, and he was just able to break stuff, and he felt so much better,” Cox said. “He came out with a smile on his face, and he came out and said, ‘Wow, that felt so good to just let it go.’”
Among the other requirements for customers will be that they sign a waiver and wear close-toed shoes, gloves, long pants and sleeves, and rain slickers.
Some mental health experts caution that the increasingly popular rage rooms are no replacement for actual therapeutic treatments, and that people with certain disorders should avoid them. But when done safely, they note that they can help relieve stress, in the same way as video games or ax throwing can do.
Cox emphasized that her operation is not meant to promote violence or unhealthy reactivity, but rather to give people an outlet for any pent-up anger, grief or other emotions they may be feeling.
“For one person, breathing exercises could relieve their stress, but for someone else, they might think, ‘I have a lot of stress on me.’ Maybe breathing is not going to be enough,” Cox said. “It’s a new venture, I guess. But at the same time, giving our town something new, something to do. There’s not really another space like that around here.”
The Rage Release will be open Wednesday through Saturday from 1 to 7 p.m. Walk-ins are accepted, but appointments are preferred.