The excavator yard · Tips
The excavator yard in Opry Mills: what experienced parents do
Small changes that make a visit go better, learned the ordinary way.
The yard is compact by design. Nobody loses a child in it, and that alone changes how relaxed an hour there feels.
If you are coming from Opry Mills, treat it as a cross-town outing rather than a day trip. Go with a return time in mind and the day stays easy.
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.
Agree the leaving time before you walk in, out loud, to the child. Announcing it later sounds like a punishment; agreeing it first sounds like a plan.
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.
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.
While you are there
The yard is compact by design. Nobody loses a child in it, and that alone changes how relaxed an hour there feels.
A birthday group runs better with a rough plan of who goes where first, even if you abandon it in the first five minutes.
On the way home
Parents watch from the rail, close enough to talk and far enough not to be operating the machine themselves, which is the point.
The whole XCAV area reads like a small construction yard: four machines around one crate, everything at child height, everything meant to be touched.
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 Opry Mills
Families searching from Opry Mills 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.
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.
Tell a nervous child what is going to happen in the order it will happen. Surprise is the thing they mind, not the activity.
If Opry Mills 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.
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
If a visit needs planning around a date, a group or a long drive, the centre is easiest to reach by phone: +1 (424) 387-6232 or +1 (615) 968-4925.