The excavator yard · Story
The excavator yard in Franklin: an hour, start to finish
The ordinary version of a visit, without the marketing gloss.
Parents watch from the rail, close enough to talk and far enough not to be operating the machine themselves, which is the point.
If Franklin 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.
Walking in
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.
The middle of the visit
The whole XCAV area reads like a small construction yard: four machines around one crate, everything at child height, everything meant to be touched.
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.
The last ten minutes
Parents watch from the rail, close enough to talk and far enough not to be operating the machine themselves, which is the point.
The yard is compact by design. Nobody loses a child in it, and that alone changes how relaxed an hour there feels.
What sticks
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.
Feed them first. Every attraction in the world is improved by not being hungry in it.
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.
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 Franklin
Families searching from Franklin are usually weighing one thing: whether it is worth the trip for an hour of something the children have not done before. The honest answer is that it depends on the child, and the rest of this page is about telling which.
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.
The quietest hour of the week is the first one on a weekday morning in term time. The busiest is Saturday around midday.
Weekends bring more of Franklin out at once. If the schedule allows a weekday, take it; the same visit is quieter and the machines wait for nobody in particular.
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.