Stressed? Head to this new Waynesboro business to smash some stuff

WAYNESBORO — Stressed? Overwhelmed? Want to smash something?

New smash therapy studio opens in Waynesboro

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There’s a place in Waynesboro that now offers smash therapy where you can spend anywhere from five minutes to 30 minutes in a room smashing various objects. 

There’s a bucket of golf clubs by the door. Next to it is a box filled with breakables  — it’s anything you can think of that will make a satisfying shattering sound and break into a million tiny different pieces. 

It might be a little intimidating, the first smash. Normally, when an object breaks, say a glass, you’d be angry at yourself for letting that happen. It could be entirely by accident, but overall you feel like you’ve done something wrong. 

© Laura Peters/The News Leader
Co-owner Kari Barrack smashes objects at the new smash therapy studio in Waynesboro called The Havoc House. Here you can smash objects for fun.

But not here. Here it’s encouraged to smash things up. Throw them down. Take a bat to them. Shoot them across the room at a wall. 

When they hit, there’s that crash, and you feel like you can finally breathe. 

It’s called Havoc House and it’s located in Waynesboro. Owners Kelly Baker and Kari Barrack opened the new spot a few weeks ago. 

Before you go in and start your rampage, you need to suit up first. There’s a protective paper-like suit you have to wear, gloves, goggles, face shield and closed toes shoes are needed to be worn. 

Barrack said they came up with the idea when they were moving a few years ago.

“I just wanted to smash something,” she said. 

It’s therapeutic. It’s cathartic. It’s a release. 

But it means something different for everyone. 

“Like on her (Barrack’s) side, I think it’s more like an anger thing, like I’m so ticked off I just want to break something,” Baker said. “For me, it’s more of like breaking the rules. It’s not all about anger.”

The two said they’ve seen people come into the studio timid and shy about breaking things, but once they loosen up it’s like all bets are off. 

“We had a couple people who were timid at first,” Baker said. “Some people are shy at first and others go out all out.”

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These smash therapy studios, or sometimes called rage rooms, have been popping up across the country in the past few years. It can be a good way to blow off some steam and let out some excess energy. 

There are different rooms in which you can book for appointments — a temper tantrum is $50, a meltdown i $40 and a hissy fit is $30. They even offer walk-in appointments that someone could do on a break from work. 

The two go to area thrift stores to stock up on breakable items. They built out the separate rooms with plywood and chicken wire ceilings — everything is removable. Plus, after you’re done smashing Baker and Barrack clean it all up.

It’s also a family affair for Baker and Barrack, who are engaged. Their son, Derek Baker, runs the social media for the new business. 

To learn more visit The Havoc House on Facebook or at 142-B Wayne Avenue in Waynesboro. 

Laura Peters is the trending topics reporter at The News Leader. Have a news tip on local trends or businesses? Or a good feature? You can reach reporter Laura Peters (she/her) at [email protected]. Follow her @peterslaura. Subscribe to The News Leader at newsleader.com.

This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: Stressed? Head to this new Waynesboro business to smash some stuff