First visit · Guide
First visit in Opry Mills: everything worth knowing
This is the practical version - what it is, who it suits, what to bring, and what usually happens in the first ten minutes.
Leave a little early. A visit that ends while it is still fun is the one they ask to repeat.
From Opry Mills the practical question is timing rather than distance. Arriving in the first hour after opening is worth more than shaving minutes off the drive.
What it actually is
A first visit works best with no schedule attached to it. Come, see what the child gravitates to, and let that decide the hour.
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.
Who it suits
Watch what they choose before suggesting anything. Children pick the machine that matches their temperament with no help at all.
Arrive with time in hand. The first ten minutes are always coats, looking around and deciding, and rushing them costs more than they take.
What to expect
Leave a little early. A visit that ends while it is still fun is the one they ask to repeat.
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.
Before you go
A first visit works best with no schedule attached to it. Come, see what the child gravitates to, and let that decide the hour.
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.
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.
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 Opry Mills
A Opry Mills school holiday runs out of ideas by about day three. This is a day-three answer rather than a day-one one.
Decide how long you are staying before you walk in. A visit with an end time attached to it finishes on a good note rather than a tired one.
A short visit that ends while they still want more beats a long one that ends in a meltdown, every time.
Parents from Opry Mills 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
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.