The view from the rail · Tips
The view from the rail in Matthews: things worth doing differently
Small changes that make a visit go better, learned the ordinary way.
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.
For a Matthews family the trip works best folded into something else - the shopping that was happening anyway, a birthday that needed a venue, a Saturday that needed a plan.
Before you leave the house
The pace is slow enough to talk over. Parents end up chatting at the rail rather than shouting over a soundtrack.
The quietest hour of the week is the first one on a weekday morning in term time. The busiest is Saturday around midday.
When you arrive
Phones come out, and for once the photographs are worth keeping: a full bucket, a spin, a first lap without the wall.
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
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 it is the first time, do not also make it a birthday. Learning a place and celebrating in it are two different visits.
On the way home
The pace is slow enough to talk over. Parents end up chatting at the rail rather than shouting over a soundtrack.
Phones come out, and for once the photographs are worth keeping: a full bucket, a spin, a first lap without the wall.
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.
Where is New Life Entertainment?
Two centres: 433 Opry Mills Drive, Nashville TN 37214, and 8111 Concord Mills Blvd, Concord NC 28027.
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 Matthews
From Matthews the practical question is timing rather than distance. Arriving in the first hour after opening is worth more than shaving minutes off the drive.
Warn a nervous child about the noise before you walk in. Knowing what to expect is most of the difference between anxious and curious.
Bring a spare layer even in summer. Malls are air conditioned, rinks are colder than that, and a cold child is a child who wants to go home.
Families searching from Matthews are usually weighing one thing: whether it is worth the trip for an hour of something the children have not done before. The honest answer is that it depends on the child, and the rest of this page is about telling which.
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.