The excavator yard · Tips
The excavator yard in Antioch: things worth doing differently
Small changes that make a visit go better, learned the ordinary way.
The whole XCAV area reads like a small construction yard: four machines around one crate, everything at child height, everything meant to be touched.
Nothing about the visit assumes you know the area. The centre is inside Opry Mills, which is signposted from everywhere in Nashville and impossible to miss once you are there.
Before you leave the house
The yard is compact by design. Nobody loses a child in it, and that alone changes how relaxed an hour there feels.
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.
When you arrive
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.
Parents watch from the rail, close enough to talk and far enough not to be operating the machine themselves, which is the point.
While you are there
The whole XCAV area reads like a small construction yard: four machines around one crate, everything at child height, everything meant to be touched.
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.
On the way home
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.
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.
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.
If two adults are coming, split up rather than shadowing the same child. One at the rail, one free, and everybody has a better hour.
If two children are visiting together, plan for them to split up. Doing different things in the same room is the point of a room with different things in it.
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.