First visit · Tips
First visit in East Nashville: things worth doing differently
The things nobody tells you until you have done it twice.
Leave a little early. A visit that ends while it is still fun is the one they ask to repeat.
Weekends bring more of East Nashville out at once. If the schedule allows a weekday, take it; the same visit is quieter and the machines wait for nobody in particular.
Before you leave the house
Arrive with time in hand. The first ten minutes are always coats, looking around and deciding, and rushing them costs more than they take.
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.
When you arrive
Watch what they choose before suggesting anything. Children pick the machine that matches their temperament with no help at all.
A first visit works best with no schedule attached to it. Come, see what the child gravitates to, and let that decide the hour.
While you are there
Leave a little early. A visit that ends while it is still fun is the one they ask to repeat.
Weekday afternoons in term time are the quietest slot in the week. Weekend middays are the busiest.
On the way home
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.
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.
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.
Where is New Life Entertainment?
Two centres: 433 Opry Mills Drive, Nashville TN 37214, and 8111 Concord Mills Blvd, Concord NC 28027.
Planning your visit in East Nashville
If you are coming from East Nashville, treat it as a cross-town outing rather than a day trip. Go with a return time in mind and the day stays easy.
Warn a nervous child about the noise before you walk in. Knowing what to expect is most of the difference between anxious and curious.
A short visit that ends while they still want more beats a long one that ends in a meltdown, every time.
The nearest of the two centres to East Nashville is the one to aim at - Opry Mills in Nashville - and the drive is the ordinary sort rather than an expedition.
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.