Nighthawk (‘Borg Assimilator’) roller coaster closing at Carowinds
Carowinds will permanently close three rides: the Nighthawk roller coaster (formerly Borg Assimilator), Scream Weaver, and Drop Tower.
Nighthawk — the long-running “flying coaster,” on which riders lie flat and face the ground
— will close at Carowinds in Charlotte, N.C., the park announced on Dec. 18, 2024. Additionally, the Scream Weaver spinning ride and the Drop Tower free-fall ride will also close.
As we look toward the future, we have to make some tough decisions. To move forward and evolve, sometimes we must step away from some attractions from our past.
To continue to enhance your experience, we will retire Nighthawk, Scream Weaver, and Drop Tower. … We know that saying goodbye to beloved rides can be difficult, and we appreciate your passion. These changes are an important part of our growth and underscore our commitment to elevating the park experience. We’re excited about the future, and we can’t wait to begin this journey with you at Carowinds.
Carowinds
Carowinds did not specify closing dates for Nighthawk, Scream Weaver, and Drop Tower, or if the attractions have already ceased operations for good. All three rides are not open during WinterFest, the park’s annual holiday event. Attractions Magazine reached out to Carowinds for clarification on this point.
Two new rides — the Snoopy’s Racing Railway roller coaster and the Charlie Brown’s River Raft Blast water ride — are currently under construction in Carowinds’ Camp Snoopy area for the 2025 season.
Photo by Blake Taylor
As previously announced, the park will also open a “record-breaking water ride” in 2026, the details of which Carowinds representatives say will be revealed in summer 2025.
Nighthawk first opened at California’s Great America in 2000 before moving to Carowinds in 2004, the park shared in its closing announcement. Upon its debut, the roller coaster was known as Borg Assimilator and loosely themed to “Star Trek”; at the time, Paramount owned Carowinds (now the park’s parent company is Six Flags). Nighthawk reaches up to 51 mph and 115 feet in the air.
Scream Weaver opened in 1979; Drop Tower in 1996.
Here are Carowinds’ official descriptions for Nighthawk, Scream Weaver, and Drop Tower, preserved here for historical purposes:
Nighthawk is the closest thing you’ll get to flying without growing wings! Soar through the Carolina skies and over the water as you dive, dip, and twist through a daring adventure.
The Carolinas’ first flying coaster begins with a tension-building climb up the 115-foot lift hill while riders are lying on their backs. Once at the top, Nighthawk’s track immediately flips, rotating riders so they are lying below the track, facing the ground. Just like a hawk, the train then dives headfirst toward the water below. The rest of this intense ride features eight thrilling inversions, most while flying face down, zooming toward the ground, and turning skyward just in time for the next inversion, reaching speeds of 51 mph.
The unique rider position offers breathtaking and virtually unobstructed views of the park. Nighthawk is located directly across from Thunder Striker and near the Carolina Skytower. For the best camera shots, check out the midway as riders soar overhead.
Don’t flip out!
On Scream Weaver, you will start out in gondolas on a big wheel that spins around and around, like a simple carousel. Then, the speed picks up. Faster and faster, the centrifugal force kicks in to the point where your gondola tilts outward. The speed continues to increase until you believe you cannot go any faster.
Just then, the large arm supporting the entire wheel raises to 90 degrees, rearranging the ride from horizontal to vertical. And that means — you know it — you’re going to flip upside down at the top of the ride’s orbit. Just at the point when you think you can’t scream anymore, the ride slows a bit, its arm starts to lower back to a horizontal position, and it feels like a sublime carousel again.
Extreme Fear by the Numbers
What goes up must come down — and down, and down, and down — at incredibly dizzying speeds on the Drop Tower, among our guests’ favorite rides.
Your Drop Tower experience begins by strapping into an open car, feet dangling, and spending the next tension-filled seconds ascending 174 feet into thin air to the peak. On a clear day, you can see for miles over the Carolina state line, but trust us, you won’t enjoy that view for very long.
Before another thought can enter your brain, the ride releases and you drop — you plunge — you are completely emptied into a free fall of over 100 feet in seconds, reaching frenetic speeds of up to 56 miles per hour before the brakes kick in and — did that really happen? — you’re at the bottom and back to normal. But, know this: after riding the Drop Tower, you’re never truly normal again.
Take a ride on Drop Tower in this POV video:
Have you ever ridden Nighthawk or a flying coaster of its kind, and will you miss it as it closes at Carowinds?
More Attractions Magazine stories:
Follow us:
No matter where you want to go, our trusted partner MEI-Travel will handle the planning so you can focus on the memories. They offer free vacation-planning services and have nearly 20 years of experience creating memorable vacations. Visit MEI-Travel for a fee-free, no-obligation quote today.
