The excavator yard · Seasonal
The excavator yard in the summer break in Old Hickory
The season changes what a visit feels like more than you would expect.
The whole XCAV area reads like a small construction yard: four machines around one crate, everything at child height, everything meant to be touched.
A Old Hickory school holiday runs out of ideas by about day three. This is a day-three answer rather than a day-one one.
Why this time of year
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 choose what to do first even when it is the thing you would have chosen last. The order matters less than the choosing.
What changes
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.
What to wear
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 one child is nervous, let them watch for the first ten minutes without being asked to join in. Almost all of them join in.
Planning around it
The yard is compact by design. Nobody loses a child in it, and that alone changes how relaxed an hour there feels.
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 Old Hickory
If Old Hickory 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.
Tell a nervous child what is going to happen in the order it will happen. Surprise is the thing they mind, not the activity.
A birthday group runs better with a rough plan of who goes where first, even if you abandon it in the first five minutes.
If you are coming from Old Hickory, treat it as a cross-town outing rather than a day trip. Go with a return time in mind and the day stays easy.
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.