The excavator yard · Occasion
The excavator yard in Murfreesboro: planning a group visit around it
Same attraction, different day, different set of things to sort out beforehand.
The yard is compact by design. Nobody loses a child in it, and that alone changes how relaxed an hour there feels.
A Murfreesboro school holiday runs out of ideas by about day three. This is a day-three answer rather than a day-one one.
Why it fits the occasion
Parents watch from the rail, close enough to talk and far enough not to be operating the machine themselves, which is the point.
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.
How the day runs
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 whole XCAV area reads like a small construction yard: four machines around one crate, everything at child height, everything meant to be touched.
What to arrange first
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.
Small things that help
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.
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 Murfreesboro
Parents from Murfreesboro tend to ask the same first question: how long will this hold their attention. Long enough to be worth the drive, and short enough to leave while they still want more.
Two shorter visits teach a child more than one long one. The second time they already know what they want to try, and that is when the good part starts.
Weekday afternoons in term time are the quietest slot in the week. Weekend middays are the busiest.
Families searching from Murfreesboro 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.
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.