Rainy afternoons · Seasonal
Rainy afternoons in Monroe: autumn plans
The season changes what a visit feels like more than you would expect.
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.
From Monroe the practical question is timing rather than distance. Arriving in the first hour after opening is worth more than shaving minutes off the drive.
Why this time of year
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 changes
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.
Tell a nervous child what is going to happen in the order it will happen. Surprise is the thing they mind, not the activity.
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.
Both venues sit inside shopping centres, so the walk from the parking to the attraction is under cover.
Planning around it
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.
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.
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.
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 Monroe
Plenty of the families in the room on a weekday morning have come from somewhere like Monroe. Nobody is local to a mall attraction; everybody has driven.
The quietest hour of the week is the first one on a weekday morning in term time. The busiest is Saturday around midday.
Bring less than you think. Coats and bags are the part of the visit nobody enjoys managing.
Coming in from Monroe with more than one child, the useful thing to know is that the room does not need to be rationed - there is more than one thing to do at the same time.
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
If a visit needs planning around a date, a group or a long drive, the centre is easiest to reach by phone: +1 (424) 387-6232 or +1 (615) 968-4925.