The excavator yard · Guide
The excavator yard in Smyrna: a parent guide
This is the practical version - what it is, who it suits, what to bring, and what usually happens in the first ten minutes.
The yard is compact by design. Nobody loses a child in it, and that alone changes how relaxed an hour there feels.
Plenty of the families in the room on a weekday morning have come from somewhere like Smyrna. Nobody is local to a mall attraction; everybody has driven.
What it actually is
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.
Who it suits
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 it is the first time, do not also make it a birthday. Learning a place and celebrating in it are two different visits.
What to expect
The yard is compact by design. Nobody loses a child in it, and that alone changes how relaxed an hour there feels.
Parents watch from the rail, close enough to talk and far enough not to be operating the machine themselves, which is the point.
Before you go
The whole XCAV area reads like a small construction yard: four machines around one crate, everything at child height, everything meant to be touched.
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.
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 Smyrna
Weekends bring more of Smyrna out at once. If the schedule allows a weekday, take it; the same visit is quieter and the machines wait for nobody in particular.
Take the photographs early. The best ones happen in the first fifteen minutes, before anybody is tired.
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.
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
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.