A Review of Great American Scream Machine at Six Flags Over Georgia
Located near the back of Six Flags Over Georgia you’ll find Great American Scream Machine. In typical Six Flags fashion it shares its name with another roller coaster in the chain. The other Great American Scream Machine was an Arrow looper at Six Flags Great Adventure. Georgia’s version is an out-and-back wooden roller coaster built in 1973. Its situated partly on a pond as it takes riders out to the very edge of the park and back. Here’s an aerial view.
Sporting a red, white, and blue all-American theme, it’s a good-looking classic woodie. As you’d expect for an older ride, the wait was pretty short. You’re treated to a nice view of the area as you approach the ride’s ten story tall peak. An 85-foot plunge sends the trains down to the pond’s surface below. The textbook ups and downs were were somewhat rough, but not too bad for its age. Scream Machine gave a bumpy ride, but it wasn’t approaching the painful jack-hammering roughness of other woodies. There’s a the turn at the far end of the circuit and the trip home has more of the same with a bit of a surprise. The last two or three short hills did provide some good airtime. And, the very last hill delivers a great head chopper moment 
as it drops you right under a shelter as you hit the brakes.
I wouldn’t call Great American Scream Machine uneventful, but I wouldn’t call it too exciting either. It’s an average wooden coaster that’s not so rough or boring that you should avoid it. But also it’s not so great that you need to rush to it either. Final Rating 5.0 (Average)
Great American Scream Machine is rated TR for Traditional. It’s a 2 out of 5 on my Thrill Scale. It’s a good roller coaster for novices and kids working their up to more adventurous rides.
Remember the Atlanta flood of 2009? Check out this aerial footage of Great American Scream Machine underwater during a flood back in 2009.
What’s Your Take?
What do you think of Great American Scream Machine? Leave a comment below. Image courtesy of CoasterImage.com. If you’re a big fan of the ride, you might like this wallpaper image.
January 26, 2012 at 13:25
if it isn't rough has it aged well?
January 28, 2012 at 02:41
I guess it has. I experienced just average roughness. So maybe it's received a good amount of TLC over the years. I'm not sure.
January 27, 2012 at 06:03
I got to visit 6 Flags over GA 2 years ago and had a great time photographing the coasters I was there to ride. Scream Machine's layout along the pond is definitely visually impressive! Looking at the lineup of coasters in that park, I'd put it in the middle of the roughness scale. Georgia Scorcher beat me up, but in a fun way. I rode it several times in different seats (also no line for this woodie) and found the middle to be the least rough. Ninja, on the other hand, beat the crap out of me … a real head-banger! … and I decided no repeat rides were in order. Goliath , on the other hand, was smooth as silk and gave me many good rides in just about every seat during my 2-day stay.
If I was taking a newbie with me, Scream Machine would probably be one of the first coasters we would hit. It's great for a new person as you can pretty much see the entire ride from near the station, so there are very few surprises.
January 27, 2012 at 17:52
There's not that many "classic" woodies like this one out there. Only a few come to my mind, like Swamp Fox in Myrtle Beach or Hershey's Comet. I've ridden these two, but I have never gotten down to Georgia yet. Good review though.
January 28, 2012 at 06:40
I probably use the ‘classic’ term a bit too loosely. I need a word for the 1970′s-era woodies that so many large theme parks built early in their development that means old, but not truly classic. Older rides like Comet at Hersheypark and even older like 1920′s and 1930′s may be what I should really reference as classic woodies. Those rides that had or even still use a big old lever in the station. Dragon at Playland Park in Rye, Astroland’s Cyclone etc. Thanks for the comment.
January 28, 2012 at 05:44
they cc, did you ride in the front row? because if you did, you have no reason to say the ride was rough
March 11, 2012 at 22:09
This ride has become rougher and slower in the last 10-15 years (since Premier took over Six Flags). The Scream Machine was so smooth back in the 80s and early 90s, it was nothing but a pleasure to ride and so much airtime. It's lackluster now.
BTW, this is one of the few wood coasters I know of (maybe the only one) that actually had its trim brake removed.
April 5, 2012 at 04:48
this ride sucks headaches every time
June 11, 2012 at 12:28
this ride may give you a headache, but its totally worth it.
July 18, 2012 at 19:22
It wasn't too rough 10 years ago when I last rode it. It's one of John Allen's best designs and still had some decent air. It's still in my Top 25. (Anything is better than the awful Beast!)
August 1, 2012 at 14:55
This is definitely a classic. So much fun and nostalgia. The roughness adds to the experience. This used to be the tallest and fasted roller coaster in the world, it was such a big deal there was nothing else like it around.
August 6, 2012 at 12:22
I swear I have opposite opinion on almost every wooden coaster. I really really like this ride! Kinda rough but like an older woodie rough that you expect. Good airtime, and much better than Georgia Cyclone.