It's all the rage: McHenry House of Rage open, ready to help people release anger, have fun

There's something therapeutic about taking a baseball bat to flat-screen TVs, nonworking printers or even a few empty wine bottles, said Ricky Evans, co-owner of the House of Rage in McHenry.

That's how rage rooms began, the 29-year-old said.

“Rage rooms started as a therapeutic thing rather than recreation. I thought it would be a great way to help people not only have fun, but to have a safe and legal way to release emotional pain and anger,” Evans said.

He opened the House of Rage at 4805 W. Elm St. in McHenry in November. Open by appointment only, Evans has been busy with people who are ready to take out some of their aggression on inanimate objects.

Rage rooms have popped up across the country over the past several years.

Evans' partner, Brandy Adams, came up with the idea of opening one in McHenry.

Just five months ago, they were sitting in a car and Adams “was showing me these other rage rooms around the world.” The two thought they could help people “and make money in a cool way,” Evans said.

They began looking for locations around McHenry and found the house on West Elm Street. Empty for about three years, it was once both a home and a dry cleaners, Adams said.

They worked with the city of McHenry to get permits and the insurance policy needed to open a rage room.

Customers suit up with a hard hat, safety goggles and a face shield, a jumpsuit and protective gloves. They must be wearing closed-toe shoes and pants covering the entire leg, Evans said.

Then, anyone 18 or older — or those 14 years old with a parent or guardian — must sign a waiver to wail on objects that otherwise would be trash.

So far, customers have destroyed electronics, toilets, washers and dryers, tables, computers, modems, furniture and more.

“Everything but old-school tube TVs” can be demolished in the rage room, Evans said.

At the end of a session, he sweeps up the debris to go out with the regular trash.

“We are recycling things in a positive way” by allowing people to take out their frustrations of life on what would otherwise likely end up in a landfill, he said.

Where is he getting the old computer monitors and household appliances?

People call him to donate them to get rid of them, he said.

“We will never run out of things to break,” Evans said.

At their very first event, for a birthday, the guest smashed the birthday cake instead of eating it, Evans said.

Adams likened the rage room rage to recently popular activities such as ax throwing and escape rooms.

“We are in a whole different age — a game and computer world,” where people are doing less outside of their homes, she said. “They are looking for something that gets their bodies moving.”

The smashing happens in the House of Rage basement. To get the city of McHenry to OK the location, they installed a ramp and enlarged the first-floor bathroom to make it accessible for people with disabilities, Evans said.

The largest party they can accommodate is 10 people at a time, Evans said.

If one person wants to pay to smash an appliance, just call, Evans said.

“If somebody called at 3 a.m. and sounded angry or sad or both, I will meet them over there,” Evans said. “I really do enjoy helping people.”