Centre ice · First time
Centre ice for the first time in Landis
A first visit has a shape to it, and knowing the shape takes most of the guesswork out.
It is also the best place to watch from the rail: the whole rink is between you and them, and every lap comes back past you.
Families searching from Landis are usually weighing one thing: whether it is worth the trip for an hour of something the children have not done before. The honest answer is that it depends on the child, and the rest of this page is about telling which.
The first ten minutes
Space in the centre is what lets a child try a turn. Near the boards there is always somebody to avoid; in the middle there is only the turn.
The middle of the rink is where the wall stops helping. Getting there is the milestone every new skater sets for themselves without being asked.
What children do first
It is also the best place to watch from the rail: the whole rink is between you and them, and every lap comes back past you.
If two adults are coming, split up rather than shadowing the same child. One at the rail, one free, and everybody has a better hour.
What usually goes wrong
Space in the centre is what lets a child try a turn. Near the boards there is always somebody to avoid; in the middle there is only the turn.
The middle of the rink is where the wall stops helping. Getting there is the milestone every new skater sets for themselves without being asked.
Making the second visit better
It is also the best place to watch from the rail: the whole rink is between you and them, and every lap comes back past you.
If one child is nervous, let them watch for the first ten minutes without being asked to join in. Almost all of them join in.
Questions parents ask
How long before a child leaves the rail?
Some in the first session, some in the fifth. Neither is unusual.
How do I get in touch?
By phone on +1 (424) 387-6232 or +1 (615) 968-4925, or by e-mail at info@newlife-entertainment.com.
What are the opening hours?
10:00 AM to 8:00 PM Monday to Saturday, and 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM on Sunday.
Planning your visit in Landis
Weekends bring more of Landis out at once. If the schedule allows a weekday, take it; the same visit is quieter and the machines wait for nobody in particular.
Do not schedule anything immediately afterwards. An hour of concentrated play is tiring in a way that shows up in the car park, not in the room.
If two children are visiting together, plan for them to split up. Doing different things in the same room is the point of a room with different things in it.
Nothing about the visit assumes you know the area. The centre is inside Concord Mills, which is signposted from everywhere in Concord and impossible to miss once you are there.
The practical details
- XCAV ZONE — 433 Opry Mills Drive, Nashville TN 37214: four child-operated machines over a ball pit.
- ICE PARK — 8111 Concord Mills Blvd, Concord NC 28027: a real rink with bumper cars on the ice.
- Opening hours — 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM Monday to Saturday, 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM on Sunday.
- Phone — +1 (424) 387-6232 · +1 (615) 968-4925
- E-mail — info@newlife-entertainment.com
The two centres are at 433 Opry Mills Drive in Nashville and 8111 Concord Mills Blvd in Concord, open 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM most days and 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM on Sunday.