The view from the rail · Compare
The view from the rail in Old Hickory: how it compares to other indoor days out
Comparing like for like: what this gives you that the alternatives do not, and where the alternatives win.
Phones come out, and for once the photographs are worth keeping: a full bucket, a spin, a first lap without the wall.
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.
What it does differently
Everything happens in one room. There is no wandering off to another floor and no moment of not knowing where they are.
Warn a nervous child about the noise before you walk in. Knowing what to expect is most of the difference between anxious and curious.
Where other options win
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.
How to decide
Phones come out, and for once the photographs are worth keeping: a full bucket, a spin, a first lap without the wall.
Two shorter visits teach a child more than one long one. The second time they already know what they want to try, and that is when the good part starts.
The short version
Everything happens in one room. There is no wandering off to another floor and no moment of not knowing where they are.
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.
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 Old Hickory
The drive back to Old Hickory is where you find out what they actually thought. Children review an outing about twenty minutes after leaving it, never during.
Decide how long you are staying before you walk in. A visit with an end time attached to it finishes on a good note rather than a tired one.
Do not schedule anything immediately afterwards. An hour of concentrated play is tiring in a way that shows up in the car park, not in the room.
Weekends bring more of Old Hickory out at once. If the schedule allows a weekday, take it; the same visit is quieter and the machines wait for nobody in particular.
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.