The excavator yard · Compare
The excavator yard in Lebanon: where it fits among family activities
There is no shortage of indoor options. The useful question is which one suits your particular child.
The whole XCAV area reads like a small construction yard: four machines around one crate, everything at child height, everything meant to be touched.
Coming in from Lebanon 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.
What it does differently
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.
Where other options win
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.
How to decide
The whole XCAV area reads like a small construction yard: four machines around one crate, everything at child height, everything meant to be touched.
Parents watch from the rail, close enough to talk and far enough not to be operating the machine themselves, which is the point.
The short version
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.
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.
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.
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.
Take the phone out of your pocket before they start rather than after. The moment worth filming is usually the first one.
If it is the first time, do not also make it a birthday. Learning a place and celebrating in it are two different visits.
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.
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.