The excavator yard · Seasonal
The excavator yard in the winter break in Hendersonville
Same room, different month, different day out.
Parents watch from the rail, close enough to talk and far enough not to be operating the machine themselves, which is the point.
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.
Why this time of year
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.
Bring less than you think. Coats and bags are the part of the visit nobody enjoys managing.
What changes
The whole XCAV area reads like a small construction yard: four machines around one crate, everything at child height, everything meant to be touched.
The yard is compact by design. Nobody loses a child in it, and that alone changes how relaxed an hour there feels.
What to wear
Parents watch from the rail, close enough to talk and far enough not to be operating the machine themselves, which is the point.
Take the photographs early. The best ones happen in the first fifteen minutes, before anybody is tired.
Planning around it
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.
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.
How do I get in touch?
By phone on +1 (424) 387-6232 or +1 (615) 968-4925, or by e-mail at info@newlife-entertainment.com.
Planning your visit in Hendersonville
A Hendersonville school holiday runs out of ideas by about day three. This is a day-three answer rather than a day-one one.
Check the day of the week against the closing time before you leave. Sunday finishes earlier than the rest of the week and catches people out.
Take the phone out of your pocket before they start rather than after. The moment worth filming is usually the first one.
The nearest of the two centres to Hendersonville is the one to aim at - Opry Mills in Nashville - and the drive is the ordinary sort rather than an expedition.
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
The two centres are at 433 Opry Mills Drive in Nashville and 8111 Concord Mills Blvd in Concord, open 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM most days and 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM on Sunday.