Dinner Booking Required
Dinner & live entertainment
Reserve a table for dinner with live jazz, burlesque, or cabaret programming in the restored Printers Alley supper club where Skull Schulman was murdered in 1998.
- Duration:
- 2.5 hr
Haunted Dining / Bar
Skull's Rainbow Room
Printers Alley supper club opened in 1948 by 'Skull' Schulman, the self-styled Mayor of the Alley — robbed and murdered inside his own club in 1998, he is reported walking the alley still, often beside a small white dog.
222 Printers Alley, Nashville, TN 37201
Research updated May 2026
Age
21+
Cost
$$$
Upscale supper-club with live entertainment; reservations recommended for dinner-and-show seating.
Access
Limited Access
Below-grade Printers Alley entrance with steps; historic alley cobble surface.
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1948 · Iconic Printers Alley supper club / burlesque venue · Founded and operated 1948–1998 by David 'Skull' Schulman · Site of Schulman's January 21, 1998 robbery-homicide · Restored and reopened 2015 with original character preserved
Printers Alley, the narrow downtown Nashville lane that housed many of the city's first newspapers and printing companies, was a center for nightlife by the mid-20th century. In 1948, David Schulman — a flamboyant figure famous for elaborate outfits and nicknamed 'Skull' after an earlier automobile accident left him with a fractured skull — opened the Rainbow Room as a supper club and burlesque venue at 222 Printers Alley.
Schulman operated the club continuously for nearly half a century, becoming a fixture of Nashville nightlife and earning the informal title 'Mayor of Printers Alley.' On the night of January 21, 1998, Schulman was robbed and murdered inside his own club, at age 80; per Nashville Adventures' reconstruction, he was discovered by a cigarette vendor with his throat slit and skull fractured. In 2001, Tennessee prosecutors charged James Cavaye and Jason Pence — Pence was a carnival worker who had previously worked for Schulman at the Tennessee State Fair — with the murder.
The Rainbow Room sat closed for years after Schulman's death. In 2015 the venue was restored and reopened by new operators as Skull's Rainbow Room, recreating much of its original character and reviving its supper-club and burlesque programming.
Sources
- https://www.nashvillescene.com/news/with-the-reopening-of-skulls-rainbow-room-in-printers-alley-we-visit-a-story-of/article_2e8a0270-9f14-56ca-bb04-574e6f3d23e5.html
- https://www.nashvilleadventures.com/post/the-murder-of-david-skull-schulman-printer-s-alley-s-darkest-night
- https://ghostcitytours.com/nashville/haunted-nashville/skull-rainbow-room/
Apparition of David 'Skull' Schulman walking Printers Alley near the clubSmall white dog accompanying the Schulman apparition (identified as poodle Sweetie)Extreme cold spots in the venue during post-2010s restoration despite summer heat and no working ACSense of being watched in the supper-club room
Per Ghost City Tours' Nashville coverage and Nashville Ghosts' Printers Alley feature, Skull's Rainbow Room is dominated by a single named entity: David 'Skull' Schulman himself. After his murder inside the venue on January 21, 1998, patrons and staff began reporting sightings of Skull along Printers Alley near the club entrance, often described as walking in the elaborate clothing he was known for. The most consistent secondary element of the lore is a small white dog seen alongside the Schulman apparition — identified in local accounts as Schulman's poodle Sweetie, who was reportedly present at his murder.
During the post-2010s restoration of the closed club, workers reported the interior becoming extremely cold even on 90-degree summer afternoons with the air conditioning off and no working refrigeration — a phenomenon framed in local lore as Skull supervising the renovation of his old venue.
The site is included on Ghost City Tours' Printers Alley walking circuit and on Nashville Ghosts' lineup; an episode of a true-crime podcast ('Murder on Music Row,' season 2) covered the 1998 attack in 2024–2025, raising recent media attention. The lore is anchored in a well-documented homicide and named perpetrators, which gives it a stronger evidentiary backbone than typical bar ghosts.
Notable Entities
David 'Skull' Schulman (d. January 21, 1998, murdered on-site)Sweetie (Schulman's poodle, reportedly present at his murder)
Media Appearances
- Ghost City Tours — The Ghost of Skull's Rainbow Room feature
- Nashville Ghosts — Printers Alley And The Rainbow Room
- Nashville Scene — 2015 reopening longform
- Yahoo / 'Murder on Music Row' podcast Season 2 (2024–25)
- Apple Podcasts — 'Skull the Ghost of Printer's Alley'
Plan Your Visit
2 ways to experience Walking Tour Booking Required
Printers Alley haunted tour stop
Skull's is a fixed stop on Ghost City Tours and Nashville Ghosts Printers Alley ghost walks, focused on the Schulman murder and post-2010s renovation cold-spot reports.
- Duration:
- 1.5 hr
Sources & Further Reading
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
- 1.nashvillescene.com/news/with-the-reopening-of-skulls-rainbow-room-in-printers-alley-we-visit-a-story-of/article_2e8a0270-9f14-56ca-bb04-574e6f3d23e5.html
- 2.nashvilleadventures.com/post/the-murder-of-david-skull-schulman-printer-s-alley-s-darkest-night
- 3.ghostcitytours.com/nashville/haunted-nashville/skull-rainbow-room
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Skull's Rainbow Room family-friendly?
Adults-only venue with burlesque programming and bar service; lore involves a violent on-site homicide. Not suitable for children. Overall family fit: Not Recommended.
How much does it cost to visit Skull's Rainbow Room?
Upscale supper-club with live entertainment; reservations recommended for dinner-and-show seating.
Do I need to book in advance?
Yes, reservations are required.
Is Skull's Rainbow Room wheelchair accessible?
Skull's Rainbow Room has limited wheelchair accessibility. Terrain: Below-grade Printers Alley entrance with steps; historic alley cobble surface..