Busch Gardens Williamsburg announced Friday that its Mach Tower attraction would be closing on Jan. 8, 2023, ending an 11-year run at the Virginia theme park.
The 238-foot-tall drop tower in August 2011 in the park’s Oktoberfest section. Though once on-board audio and special vibration effects, though features have been stripped away over the years. News of its closure came via a message on the ride’s page on the Busch Gardens Williamsburg website:
“After review and consideration of overall guest satisfaction, we have made the decision to close Mäch Tower permanently. Now through January 8, we invite you to drop in for one more ride on this spiraling drop tower (ride availability subject to change).”
The ride typically operates as the gentler “Nacht Tower” during the park’s Christmas Town event, switching off the freefall to become a rotating tower offering scenic views.
Busch Gardens Williamsburg did not respond to Theme Park Tribune’s request for comment on the Mach Tower’s closure.
BGWFans.com had reported in August that Mach Tower was rumored to be closing, while being careful to say that no such closure had been confirmed. The site has an excellent record of breaking big scoops related to Busch Gardens Williamsburg; it reported on the park’s new-for-2023 indoor roller coaster, DarKoaster, nine months ahead of its official reveal.
The park’s most recent addition was Pantheon, an Intamin multi-launch roller coaster, which opened earlier this year after a two-year delay. You can read Theme Park Tribune’s full review of that ride here.