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

 

[Thomas]

The music can stay and I'll be happy. But, I can live without the shaking.

 

[redsoxfan787]

I rode it today, and the music was playing. But their was no shaking. I personally liked the shaking

 

[blackforestbgw]

When ever I ride I never get the shakeing. Is it a violent shaking, mild shaking, or in between.

 

[Bryant]

Is it the same German music to a staic to "goodbye"?

 

[Peter R.]

I don't believe they have turned the shaking back on yet ( at least in all the time I have rode this year I have not experienced it).

 

[Parkgoer]

When ever I ride I never get the shakeing. Is it a violent shaking, mild shaking, or in between.

It is not shaking. It is just vibrators under the seats. No big deal.

 

[Peter R.]

It is not shaking. It is just vibrators under the seats. No big deal.

That's what I meant... just failed to articulate it well.

 

[blackforestbgw]

Well that sounds kinda cool

 

[Zachary]

Verbolten's downtime has somewhat overshadowed Mach Tower's recently, but it's still just as bad as ever. Anyway, @WDWRLD just tweeted a picture of Mach Tower a few minutes ago. For some reason, the ride is down and they've set up some sort of makeshift perimeter around it. Anyone know what's up?

Thanks for the picture @WDWRLD!

 

[Chris]

I was just out there, didn't notice anyone actually working on the ride, just someone standing out front.

 

[James]

The perimeter probably has something to do with people working at different heights. Wouldn't want a wrench to hit someone in the head now do we?

 

[Peter R.]

The perimeter probably has something to do with people working at different heights. Wouldn't want a wrench to hit someone in the head now do we?

No offense, but I don't think that is it. I have been there many times when they have had to fix the thing and they never had to set up a perimeter around it. Beside that I believe it would be unlikely for anything to fall when someone is working due to the maintenance person being inside the metal piece above the seat which goes into the metal piece at the top of the tower. Those sign by the way are the one they use in the morning during the Verbolten ERT to tell Pass members not to go any further (along with a team member).

 

[Bryant]

What would be the serious problem though.

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I've been talking to the manufacturer for a couple weeks.. Should be able to get some technical problems we would see with this tower from them.

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What would be the serious problem though.

 

[Party Rocker]

What if the ride did just suddenly fall though? Would the impact been enough to cause damage to anyone/thing inside the area?

 

[Peter R.]

I've been talking to the manufacturer for a couple weeks.. Should be able to get some technical problems we would see with this tower from them.

Where did this come from?

What if the ride did just suddenly fall though? Would the impact been enough to cause damage to anyone/thing inside the area?

As has been said before this is what the magnetic brakes are for (To prevent high velocity impact with the ground) and the magnets themselves don’t depend on power ( correct me if I am wrong guys).

 

[pandorazboxx]

Yea, they're permanent magnets. Unless magnets stop doing what magnets do or the carriage comes apart there is little chance of anything crashing down.

 

[Party Rocker]

But what it all else fails? What if it did fall by an off chance?

 

[Unagi]

TAER IT DOWN!!!

 

[Zachary]

If you haven't been following Mach Tower recently, it has been down for the last two weeks or so. I've heard that it should be reopening very soon.

 

[Irishman]

If you haven't been following Mach Tower recently, it has been down for the last two weeks or so. I've heard that it should be reopening very soon.

I don't think anyones paying attention to that thing anymore haha