The excavator yard · Guide
The excavator yard in Green Hills: the practical guide
This is the practical version - what it is, who it suits, what to bring, and what usually happens in the first ten minutes.
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.
Families searching from Green Hills 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.
What it actually is
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.
Who it suits
The whole XCAV area reads like a small construction yard: four machines around one crate, everything at child height, everything meant to be touched.
If one child is nervous, let them watch for the first ten minutes without being asked to join in. Almost all of them join in.
What to expect
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.
Before you go
The yard is compact by design. Nobody loses a child in it, and that alone changes how relaxed an hour there feels.
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.
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.
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.
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 Green Hills
A Green Hills school holiday runs out of ideas by about day three. This is a day-three answer rather than a day-one one.
Tell a nervous child what is going to happen in the order it will happen. Surprise is the thing they mind, not the activity.
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.
Coming in from Green Hills 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 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.