The excavator yard · Tips
The excavator yard in Nashville: things worth doing differently
Small changes that make a visit go better, learned the ordinary way.
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.
If Nashville is home, this is the sort of place you end up returning to rather than ticking off. That changes what a first visit is worth planning around.
Before you leave the house
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.
When you arrive
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 it is the first time, do not also make it a birthday. Learning a place and celebrating in it are two different visits.
While you are there
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.
On the way home
The yard is compact by design. Nobody loses a child in it, and that alone changes how relaxed an hour there feels.
Let the child lead the order of things. Adults optimise; children choose the thing that looks best, and they are right more often than they are wrong.
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 Nashville
Coming in from Nashville 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.
Feed them first. Every attraction in the world is improved by not being hungry in it.
Bring less than you think. Coats and bags are the part of the visit nobody enjoys managing.
Families searching from Nashville 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
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.