First visit · Compare
First visit in Antioch, or something else?
There is no shortage of indoor options. The useful question is which one suits your particular child.
A first visit works best with no schedule attached to it. Come, see what the child gravitates to, and let that decide the hour.
Nothing about the visit assumes you know the area. The centre is inside Opry Mills, which is signposted from everywhere in Nashville and impossible to miss once you are there.
What it does differently
Leave a little early. A visit that ends while it is still fun is the one they ask to repeat.
Check the day of the week against the closing time before you leave. Sunday finishes earlier than the rest of the week and catches people out.
Where other options win
Arrive with time in hand. The first ten minutes are always coats, looking around and deciding, and rushing them costs more than they take.
Watch what they choose before suggesting anything. Children pick the machine that matches their temperament with no help at all.
How to decide
A first visit works best with no schedule attached to it. Come, see what the child gravitates to, and let that decide the hour.
Bring a spare layer even in summer. Malls are air conditioned, rinks are colder than that, and a cold child is a child who wants to go home.
The short version
Leave a little early. A visit that ends while it is still fun is the one they ask to repeat.
Arrive with time in hand. The first ten minutes are always coats, looking around and deciding, and rushing them costs more than they take.
Questions parents ask
What should we bring?
Warm layers for the rink, and the usual drink and snack for afterwards.
How long should we allow?
An hour is a comfortable first visit for most families.
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.
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.
Planning your visit in Antioch
A Antioch school holiday runs out of ideas by about day three. This is a day-three answer rather than a day-one one.
Take the photographs early. The best ones happen in the first fifteen minutes, before anybody is tired.
Let the child choose what to do first even when it is the thing you would have chosen last. The order matters less than the choosing.
Parents from Antioch tend to ask the same first question: how long will this hold their attention. Long enough to be worth the drive, and short enough to leave while they still want more.
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
Anything time critical is worth a phone call first: hours are 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM Monday to Saturday and 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM on Sunday.