Grabber crane · Local
Grabber crane near Donelson
If you are searching from Donelson, this is the practical answer.
The grabber crane has the longest boom of the four machines and a claw on the line, so it reaches the far side of the crate where the balls pile up.
Weekends bring more of Donelson out at once. If the schedule allows a weekday, take it; the same visit is quieter and the machines wait for nobody in particular.
Getting there
Set against the other three, it is the machine that most rewards a plan: pick the spot, get the claw there, then close.
Feed them first. Every attraction in the world is improved by not being hungry in it.
What you will find
It is the machine parents underestimate. The long boom looks unwieldy from outside the rail and turns out to be the one children queue for twice.
Long reach means small movements at the controls turn into big movements at the claw. Children work that out fast and start moving in smaller and smaller nudges.
How long to allow
The grabber crane has the longest boom of the four machines and a claw on the line, so it reaches the far side of the crate where the balls pile up.
Bring less than you think. Coats and bags are the part of the visit nobody enjoys managing.
Worth the trip?
Set against the other three, it is the machine that most rewards a plan: pick the spot, get the claw there, then close.
It is the machine parents underestimate. The long boom looks unwieldy from outside the rail and turns out to be the one children queue for twice.
Questions parents ask
What makes the boom different?
It is longer than the others, so it covers the far side of the crate and reacts to smaller inputs.
Can two children use machines at the same time?
The machines stand around the same crate and reach different parts of it, so more than one can run at once.
Where is New Life Entertainment?
Two centres: 433 Opry Mills Drive, Nashville TN 37214, and 8111 Concord Mills Blvd, Concord NC 28027.
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 Donelson
The drive back to Donelson is where you find out what they actually thought. Children review an outing about twenty minutes after leaving it, never during.
The quietest hour of the week is the first one on a weekday morning in term time. The busiest is Saturday around midday.
Bring a snack for afterwards rather than during. Hungry children leave early and full children want to stay.
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.
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
Questions about a specific day, a group or a party are best asked directly - info@newlife-entertainment.com, or either of the numbers on the contacts page.