The excavator yard · Occasion
The excavator yard for a summer holiday in Green Hills
Here is how the day tends to run and what is worth arranging in advance.
Parents watch from the rail, close enough to talk and far enough not to be operating the machine themselves, which is the point.
Plenty of the families in the room on a weekday morning have come from somewhere like Green Hills. Nobody is local to a mall attraction; everybody has driven.
Why it fits the occasion
The yard is compact by design. Nobody loses a child in it, and that alone changes how relaxed an hour there feels.
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.
How the day runs
The whole XCAV area reads like a small construction yard: four machines around one crate, everything at child height, everything meant to be touched.
There is no queue system built into the layout - the machines stand apart, so a family with two children can usually get them both working at once.
What to arrange first
Parents watch from the rail, close enough to talk and far enough not to be operating the machine themselves, which is the point.
Feed them first. Every attraction in the world is improved by not being hungry in it.
Small things that help
The yard is compact by design. Nobody loses a child in it, and that alone changes how relaxed an hour there feels.
The whole XCAV area reads like a small construction yard: four machines around one crate, everything at child height, everything meant to be touched.
Questions parents ask
How many machines are there?
Four: a tower crane, a mini excavator, a claw excavator and a grabber crane.
Can parents stay with their child?
The rail runs around the crate, so parents stay within arm reach the whole time.
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 Green Hills
If Green Hills 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.
Bring less than you think. Coats and bags are the part of the visit nobody enjoys managing.
Bring a snack for afterwards rather than during. Hungry children leave early and full children want to stay.
If you are coming from Green Hills, treat it as a cross-town outing rather than a day trip. Go with a return time in mind and the day stays easy.
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.