Printers Alley

In the mid-1800s, Printers Alley emerged as a center of business—specifically Nashville’s thriving publishing industry. The area was home to two large newspapers, ten print shops, and thirteen publishers at its height. In the 1890s, the alley behind the buildings between Third and Fourth Avenues also featured literal back door dives and attractions as the nearby Men’s Quarter grew in popularity. Speakeasies and bootleg operations filled the Alley, as printers and publishers often worked late into the night and early morning with stretches of time to kill as the presses ran. Printers Alley continued its risqué entertainment offerings into the twentieth century. Though there were police raids from time to time, the location of Printers Alley—hidden in plain sight—was key to the alley’s “seedy” survival during the era of prohibition. 

One of the most notorious spots in the Alley was Skull’s Rainbow Room to your right. Opened in 1948, David “Skull” Schulman’s Rainbow Room was popular from the start and featured such acts as Elvis Presley and Etta James. Known as the “Mayor of Printers Alley,” Schulman became a local celebrity. In addition to his infamous bar, he also appeared several times on the television show Hee Haw. The Rainbow Room featured burlesque and strip-tease shows alongside live music. The bar operated under Schulman until 1998, when he was found murdered in his own club. After years of abandon and neglect, Skull’s Rainbow Room reopened in 2015 to continue Schulman’s legacy. Although not as underground as it was in its heyday, Printers Alley has experienced a recent renaissance and remains a popular entertainment spot for Nashville nightlife.

Continue down Printers Alley towards Union Street. You will then turn LEFT onto Union Street and continue west for six blocks. Once you have reached Sixth Avenue, cross and go up the stairs to the Legislative Plaza. War Memorial Auditorium, your next stop, will be to your left.