The view from the rail · Guide
The view from the rail in Green Hills: a parent guide
Written for the parent doing the planning rather than the child doing the asking.
The pace is slow enough to talk over. Parents end up chatting at the rail rather than shouting over a soundtrack.
Coming in from Green Hills 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.
What it actually is
The measure of a family attraction is not what the children do, it is what the adults do while they do it. Standing where you can see and hear them counts for a lot.
Everything happens in one room. There is no wandering off to another floor and no moment of not knowing where they are.
Who it suits
Phones come out, and for once the photographs are worth keeping: a full bucket, a spin, a first lap without the wall.
Take the photographs early. The best ones happen in the first fifteen minutes, before anybody is tired.
What to expect
The pace is slow enough to talk over. Parents end up chatting at the rail rather than shouting over a soundtrack.
The measure of a family attraction is not what the children do, it is what the adults do while they do it. Standing where you can see and hear them counts for a lot.
Before you go
Everything happens in one room. There is no wandering off to another floor and no moment of not knowing where they are.
Bring less than you think. Coats and bags are the part of the visit nobody enjoys managing.
Questions parents ask
Can I watch the whole time?
The activity is in one room and the viewing is from the rail or the boards.
Is it loud?
It is a children attraction rather than an arcade. The machines are slow and the noise is mostly the children.
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 Green Hills
A Green Hills school holiday runs out of ideas by about day three. This is a day-three answer rather than a day-one one.
Tell a nervous child what is going to happen in the order it will happen. Surprise is the thing they mind, not the activity.
Take the phone out of your pocket before they start rather than after. The moment worth filming is usually the first one.
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.