Mäch Tower

Manufacturer

Moser's Rides

Model

Gravity Tower

Hamlet

Oktoberfest (Germany)

Opening Date

August 18th, 2011

Closing Date

January 8th, 2023

Attraction Height

240ft

Duration

About 90 Seconds

Riders Per Cycle

30

Height Requirement

48in

Mäch Tower was a Moser's Rides Gravity Tower located in the Oktoberfest section of Busch Gardens Williamsburg.

Originally planned to debut in the spring alongside Beste Brezeln und Bier and numerous other alterations to the Oktoberfest hamlet, Mäch Tower faced months of delays throughout the first half of 2011. Ultimately, the attraction did not open to the public until August 18th, 2011.

Mach Tower was typically converted into an observation tower named Nächt Tower for the park's annual holiday event, Christmas Town.

On December 16, 2022 it was announced by the park that Mäch Tower would close on January 8th, 2023. The ride did not operate in it's typical Nächt Tower mode in 2022, in order to have final sendoffs in the normal drop tower mode.

When it debuted, Mäch Tower featured an onboard audio system which would play music throughout the ride's ascent and a seat vibration effect that would trigger immediately before the drop. A POV featuring the on-ride audio can be found below.

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Direct Link to Embedded Media Source

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Sources:

1. Mäch Tower Announcement Press Release
2. Official Statement Regarding Opening Delays
3. "Waiting for the Mach Tower to Drop" via The Virginian-Pilot
4. "Busch Gardens opens towering drop ride after 3-month delay" via The Virginian-Pilot
5. First Ride Video & Opening Day Photos via BGWFans
6. Early Mäch Tower Ride Impressions via Theme Park Insider

 

[Griffonluv]

It was a shoddy construction process. What do you expect? The ride has been riddled with problems since construction started.

 

[Parkgoer]

Breakdowns are less common, but the ride has been getting stuck with guests on a lot lately.

Shut down all day yesterday. Breakdowns are becoming less common because opening of the attraction is less common.

 

[FAL NR OX]

Shut down all day yesterday.

What's new?

 

[I305Evan]

The ride should have stayed closed "indefinitely" longer.

 

[Parkgoer]

The ride should have stayed closed "indefinitely" longer.

This. Even moreso being indefinitely is typically longer than a day.

 

[Crackel]

It was closed all day today. They ran it empty since about 2 and never let anyone on. So idk what there doing. I say rip out the whole electrical and computer system and have intiam reinstall a new one!

 

[destroyer421]

^ YES. YES. YES. YES.

 

[superfomi]

Mach Tower Opened around 7 tonight.

 

[Apollogeist]

On friday Mach tower was closed and it opened later in the day and i saw it run for maby 2 hrs then it was closed again

 

[gardener14]

I rode Mach Tower for the first time on Monday. It's a fun ride, but the music on the way up sounded weak. It was not loud enough to hear well, and the sound was scratchy. I didn't hear any more audio once we reached the top and the music stopped, and there was no vibrating in the seats. The drop was fun, and it felt a bit different than an S&S tower using air pressure. I think the magnetic brakes and true freefall created a unique experience as I've only ever ridden S&S towers and Disney's Tower of Terror before this. All and all, it was a fun ride, and it looks nice, but it wasn't worth removing a theater to relocate the scrambler and build Mach Tower. I'd be much happier if they brought back more shows to the park like what they removed in New France for this.

 

[Thomas]

People seem to forget that the Canadian Palladium was sitting empty for several seasons before it was removed... it's also relevant to add that the shows back there never fit the theme of the area and, IMO, were not so great.

 

[Zachary]

I never liked the shows there, but I loved the theater. They simply needed to utilize it better. Removing it wasn't the answer.

 

[BBW]

I liked the first Monster Stomp in the Canadian Palladium. It was nice to sit outside on those crisp fall days. (Not saying I don't love MR Revamped, too, although it's time for another Revamp).

 

[pandorazboxx]

We're sort of going off topic now, but picnic tables at the canadian palladium doomed that thing.

 

[gardener14]

People seem to forget that the Canadian Palladium was sitting empty for several seasons before it was removed... it's also relevant to add that the shows back there never fit the theme of the area and, IMO, were not so great.

The Canadian Palladium did not sit empty before its removal. 2008 was the last year for the long running show, American Jukebox. 2009 had a very good country music show. 2010 is when they replaced some benches with tables and had two smaller shows that fit the theme of the area, a folk music trio and a lumberjack themed percussion ensemble. 2011 is when it was replaced with Le Catapult.

I believe that when they changed to the smaller shows with the tables added in 2010, it was because they knew the theater would be removed soon, and they didn't want to invest in a new fully staged show for only one year.

The theme of the shows was not a valid reason for its removal because a significant demographic of the park's clientelle likes shows, and many of BGT's shows don't fit the theme of the park. Besides, American/country music vaguely fits the Canadian theme.

Mach tower is a good ride, but I feel they could have fit it in the park without removing a theater in the process and still found space for the scrambler.

BTW, I've been at the park this week, and Mach Tower has been operating most of that time. It was closed on Sunday, but operating Monday and Wednesday. Tuesday I visited Water Country, and today, I haven't arrived at the park yet. It seems to have no problems on the days I've seen it operating, and the ride ops were having a lot of fun and being very enthusiastic interating with guests.

 

[Galaxy]

Mach Tower was closed all day today.

 

[Brandon]

^ I can confirm. The sign out front displayed that it was closed indicating that they didn't plan on opening it.

 

[BlueWasp]

It's a shame they didn't go with an Intamin drop tower. I rode the one at Kings Dominion Monday (sorry purists, shoot me - I've been a BG snob for the past 30+ years and visited KD for the coaster variety/numbers, and was REALLY impressed with the whole experience) and I gotta say, minus the daunting slow ascent, it's superior to MT in every way... It actually drops you, well over half way down. After being gently lowered to the ground by MT for the past year this thing really thrilled (borderline scared) me for a couple seconds...

I'm not sure what the maintenance record for this tower is, I really haven't paid much attention to KD up to now, but Intamin has a pretty good name for building solid rides, right?

Sir, Drop Tower goes up MUCH faster then Mach Tower.:dodgy:

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1. I dout they could even fit a Gyro Drop in where mach tower is.


2. Lets hope if they decide to close it down, it doesn't sit there for 3 years like Son of beast did at Kings Island. And yes 3 years!!!:shocked:

 

[Peter R.]

Doubt they will close it. BTW it was open this previous Saturday.

 

[Party Rocker]

The park won't take it down, it would be too much of a disgrace to take it down so close to its opening. Give at least 10 or so years.