The view from the rail · Tips
The view from the rail in Huntersville: things worth doing differently
None of this is complicated. All of it is the difference between a good hour and a difficult one.
Phones come out, and for once the photographs are worth keeping: a full bucket, a spin, a first lap without the wall.
The nearest of the two centres to Huntersville is the one to aim at - Concord Mills in Concord - and the drive is the ordinary sort rather than an expedition.
Before you leave the house
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.
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.
When you arrive
The pace is slow enough to talk over. Parents end up chatting at the rail rather than shouting over a soundtrack.
Everything happens in one room. There is no wandering off to another floor and no moment of not knowing where they are.
While you are there
Phones come out, and for once the photographs are worth keeping: a full bucket, a spin, a first lap without the wall.
Photograph the machine as well as the child. In two years you will have forgotten what the room looked like.
On the way home
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.
The pace is slow enough to talk over. Parents end up chatting at the rail rather than shouting over a soundtrack.
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.
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.
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.
Planning your visit in Huntersville
Weekends bring more of Huntersville out at once. If the schedule allows a weekday, take it; the same visit is quieter and the machines wait for nobody in particular.
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 two children are visiting together, plan for them to split up. Doing different things in the same room is the point of a room with different things in it.
Parents from Huntersville tend to ask the same first question: how long will this hold their attention. Long enough to be worth the drive, and short enough to leave while they still want more.
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
Anything time critical is worth a phone call first: hours are 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM Monday to Saturday and 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM on Sunday.