The excavator yard · Faq
The excavator yard in Murfreesboro: common questions answered
Short answers to the things worth knowing in advance.
The yard is compact by design. Nobody loses a child in it, and that alone changes how relaxed an hour there feels.
Families around Murfreesboro who have done it once tend to plan the second visit differently: shorter, earlier in the day, and with the machine the child liked in mind.
The short answers
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 two adults are coming, split up rather than shadowing the same child. One at the rail, one free, and everybody has a better hour.
The longer answers
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.
Still worth asking on the day
The yard is compact by design. Nobody loses a child in it, and that alone changes how relaxed an hour there feels.
Bring a spare layer even in summer. Malls are air conditioned, rinks are colder than that, and a cold child is a child who wants to go home.
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 Murfreesboro
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.
Warn a nervous child about the noise before you walk in. Knowing what to expect is most of the difference between anxious and curious.
Weekday afternoons in term time are the quietest slot in the week. Weekend middays are the busiest.
For a Murfreesboro family the trip works best folded into something else - the shopping that was happening anyway, a birthday that needed a venue, a Saturday that needed a plan.
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
The two centres are at 433 Opry Mills Drive in Nashville and 8111 Concord Mills Blvd in Concord, open 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM most days and 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM on Sunday.