The excavator yard · Seasonal
The excavator yard in Lebanon: the holiday season plans
The season changes what a visit feels like more than you would expect.
Parents watch from the rail, close enough to talk and far enough not to be operating the machine themselves, which is the point.
The nearest of the two centres to Lebanon is the one to aim at - Opry Mills in Nashville - and the drive is the ordinary sort rather than an expedition.
Why this time of year
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 yard is compact by design. Nobody loses a child in it, and that alone changes how relaxed an hour there feels.
What changes
The whole XCAV area reads like a small construction yard: four machines around one crate, everything at child height, everything meant to be touched.
A short visit that ends while they still want more beats a long one that ends in a meltdown, every time.
What to wear
Parents watch from the rail, close enough to talk and far enough not to be operating the machine themselves, which is the point.
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.
Planning around it
The yard is compact by design. Nobody loses a child in it, and that alone changes how relaxed an hour there feels.
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.
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 Lebanon
A Lebanon school holiday runs out of ideas by about day three. This is a day-three answer rather than a day-one one.
A birthday group runs better with a rough plan of who goes where first, even if you abandon it in the first five minutes.
Warn a nervous child about the noise before you walk in. Knowing what to expect is most of the difference between anxious and curious.
From Lebanon the practical question is timing rather than distance. Arriving in the first hour after opening is worth more than shaving minutes off the drive.
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.