Rainy afternoons · Seasonal
Rainy afternoons in Antioch: what the winter break is like
Written for this time of year specifically.
Rain turns a normal afternoon into a problem to solve. An indoor attraction inside a mall solves it without anybody getting wet between the car and the door.
If you are coming from Antioch, treat it as a cross-town outing rather than a day trip. Go with a return time in mind and the day stays easy.
Why this time of year
The trick with a rainy day is picking something that burns energy rather than something that keeps children still. Sitting through a film leaves the energy in the tank.
Go early if the choice is available. The first hour after opening is quieter than any hour that follows it, and quieter is easier for everybody.
What changes
Both venues sit inside shopping centres, so the walk from the parking to the attraction is under cover.
On a wet Saturday, going early beats going late. The same hour feels completely different before and after the rest of the city has the same idea.
What to wear
Rain turns a normal afternoon into a problem to solve. An indoor attraction inside a mall solves it without anybody getting wet between the car and the door.
Warn a nervous child about the noise before you walk in. Knowing what to expect is most of the difference between anxious and curious.
Planning around it
The trick with a rainy day is picking something that burns energy rather than something that keeps children still. Sitting through a film leaves the energy in the tank.
Both venues sit inside shopping centres, so the walk from the parking to the attraction is under cover.
Questions parents ask
Is it fully indoors?
Both venues are inside malls - Opry Mills in Nashville and Concord Mills in Concord.
What are the opening hours?
Monday to Saturday 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM, Sunday 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM.
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 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.
Tell a nervous child what is going to happen in the order it will happen. Surprise is the thing they mind, not the activity.
A birthday group runs better with a rough plan of who goes where first, even if you abandon it in the first five minutes.
If Antioch is home, this is the sort of place you end up returning to rather than ticking off. That changes what a first visit is worth planning around.
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.