The excavator yard · First time
The excavator yard in Antioch: a first visit, step by step
Nobody arrives knowing how it works. That is fine - here is how the first half hour tends to go.
Parents watch from the rail, close enough to talk and far enough not to be operating the machine themselves, which is the point.
Coming in from Antioch 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 first ten minutes
The yard is compact by design. Nobody loses a child in it, and that alone changes how relaxed an hour there feels.
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.
What children do first
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.
The whole XCAV area reads like a small construction yard: four machines around one crate, everything at child height, everything meant to be touched.
What usually goes wrong
Parents watch from the rail, close enough to talk and far enough not to be operating the machine themselves, which is the point.
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.
Making the second visit better
The yard is compact by design. Nobody loses a child in it, and that alone changes how relaxed an hour there feels.
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.
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 Antioch
Families around Antioch who have done it once tend to plan the second visit differently: shorter, earlier in the day, and with the machine the child liked in mind.
Feed them first. Every attraction in the world is improved by not being hungry in it.
Tell a nervous child what is going to happen in the order it will happen. Surprise is the thing they mind, not the activity.
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
Questions about a specific day, a group or a party are best asked directly - info@newlife-entertainment.com, or either of the numbers on the contacts page.