The excavator yard · Local
The excavator yard for families in Antioch
The local version of the question: how far, how long, and is it worth it.
Parents watch from the rail, close enough to talk and far enough not to be operating the machine themselves, which is the point.
A Antioch school holiday runs out of ideas by about day three. This is a day-three answer rather than a day-one one.
Getting there
The yard is compact by design. Nobody loses a child in it, and that alone changes how relaxed an hour there feels.
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.
What you will find
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.
How long to allow
Parents watch from the rail, close enough to talk and far enough not to be operating the machine themselves, which is the point.
Bring less than you think. Coats and bags are the part of the visit nobody enjoys managing.
Worth the trip?
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.
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 Antioch
Plenty of the families in the room on a weekday morning have come from somewhere like Antioch. Nobody is local to a mall attraction; everybody has driven.
Take the photographs early. The best ones happen in the first fifteen minutes, before anybody is tired.
Agree the leaving time before you walk in, out loud, to the child. Announcing it later sounds like a punishment; agreeing it first sounds like a plan.
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
The two centres are at 433 Opry Mills Drive in Nashville and 8111 Concord Mills Blvd in Concord, open 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM most days and 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM on Sunday.