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

 

[Jonathan S]

Vibrating Seats?

They don't actually work. They worked occasionally opening year but have completely stopped since then.

Bummer. That reminds me of some ride I rode at the Florida State Fair called Stinger...

 

[Nicole]

Whoever wrote that has a future in politics.

 

[Ben]

Vibrating Seats?

They don't actually work. They worked occasionally opening year but have completely stopped since then.

The one time I rode with them I found them to be somewhat stupid and useless, kind of glad its gone TBH

 

[Hoopla]

Now it's just a drop tower.

Now it's just a tower. :dodgy:

 

[Nicole]

It was running yesterday.

 

[Zachary]

It broke down yesterday too. Watched it happen. It raised maybe 20ft from the ground and then just randomly lowered again.

 

[I305Evan]

Sounds like my first and only ride. But then they continued after they rechecked our restraints.

 

[Party Rocker]

From what I've heard it worked most of the day today, had some issues early on but things got fixed up some.

 

[Jrbgwfan06]

Went on it the first time tonight, it was actually pretty nice(to my surprise). However, just a couple seats down from me a guy's harness wasn't clearing for about 3 minutes(he wasn't "big and tall" at all though). So the polite employee tries to fix it, by "shaking" it, until it clears. And surely enough it did.:dodgy:

 

[Nicole]

More and more reasons not to get on this ride again.

 

[Jrbgwfan06]

Well I wouldn't go as far to say that, I still trust the park enough to know that they wouldn't put you on something that is potentially dangerous. However, I do think that it needs a lot of work. I think they just really need to close it a couple of months and get all the issues fixed before they open it again.

 

[Nicole]

The idea of getting stuck at the top is horrifying to me.

 

[netdvn]

Well the park gave Mach at least two or three full on rehabs this year and it still has problems. Latest rehab was during HOS. Best bet is to just knock it down and restart from scratch.

 

[Party Rocker]

Just throwing it out there, it appeared as if there was some type of crane structure actually sitting on top of Mach Tower today.

 

[Hoopla]

Just throwing it out there, it appeared as if there was some type of crane structure actually sitting on top of Mach Tower today.

Any idea of what is going on?

 

[Party Rocker]

My only guess is it might be part of seasonal maintenance, but then again this is the first time I've seen it at all.

 

[I305Evan]

Seasonal maintenance should never involve a crane. Everything should be able to be done with the catch car (lift, gondola, whatever you want to call it) The only time a crane should be necessary is if a motor in the top section needs to be replaced.

 

[Thomas]

This is Mach Tower we're talking about...

 

[halfabee]

The only time a crane should be necessary is if a motor in the top section needs to be replaced.

...Replaced with a more powerful motor, perhaps?  ;-D

 

[I305Evan]

When I say that a motor needs to be replaced, I don't mean just motors. As there is many heavy equipment in that topper piece. But either way, a crane should not be needed for seasonal maintenance.