The excavator yard · Faq
The excavator yard in Brentwood: common questions answered
Short answers to the things worth knowing in advance.
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.
If you are coming from Brentwood, 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 short answers
Parents watch from the rail, close enough to talk and far enough not to be operating the machine themselves, which is the point.
The whole XCAV area reads like a small construction yard: four machines around one crate, everything at child height, everything meant to be touched.
The longer answers
The yard is compact by design. Nobody loses a child in it, and that alone changes how relaxed an hour there feels.
Bring a snack for afterwards rather than during. Hungry children leave early and full children want to stay.
Still worth asking on the day
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.
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 Brentwood
A Brentwood school holiday runs out of ideas by about day three. This is a day-three answer rather than a day-one one.
Count on the drive home being the conversation. Children tell you what they actually thought about twenty minutes after leaving.
Photograph the machine as well as the child. In two years you will have forgotten what the room looked like.
The nearest of the two centres to Brentwood is the one to aim at - Opry Mills in Nashville - and the drive is the ordinary sort rather than an expedition.
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
If a visit needs planning around a date, a group or a long drive, the centre is easiest to reach by phone: +1 (424) 387-6232 or +1 (615) 968-4925.