Summer afternoons · Compare
Summer afternoons in Gastonia: how it compares to other indoor days out
An honest look at where it fits.
School holidays make weekday mornings quieter than weekends - the same visit, half the noise.
The nearest of the two centres to Gastonia is the one to aim at - Concord Mills in Concord - and the drive is the ordinary sort rather than an expedition.
What it does differently
The afternoon heat is exactly when children have the most energy and the least chance of being allowed to spend it outside.
Two shorter visits teach a child more than one long one. The second time they already know what they want to try, and that is when the good part starts.
Where other options win
By the middle of a southern summer, indoors stops being second best and becomes the plan.
An hour on the ice is the most literal way to cool a child down that exists indoors.
How to decide
School holidays make weekday mornings quieter than weekends - the same visit, half the noise.
Take the phone out of your pocket before they start rather than after. The moment worth filming is usually the first one.
The short version
The afternoon heat is exactly when children have the most energy and the least chance of being allowed to spend it outside.
By the middle of a southern summer, indoors stops being second best and becomes the plan.
Questions parents ask
Is it air conditioned?
Both venues are inside malls, and the ice park is a rink.
When is it quietest in the holidays?
Weekday mornings, generally.
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 Gastonia
From Gastonia the practical question is timing rather than distance. Arriving in the first hour after opening is worth more than shaving minutes off the drive.
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.
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 Gastonia 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.