The Hellfire Club was New York City's notorious underground BDSM and fetish playground, hidden beneath the Meatpacking District. Operating from the late 1970s through the early 2000s under various names—like The Vault and J's Hideout—it was a sprawling, no-frills dungeon of cages, slings, dark corners, and unapologetic pleasure. There was no alcohol, just the scent of sweat, leather, and defiance.
It attracted a crowd as diverse as it was daring—gay, straight, trans, dom, sub, exhibitionist, voyeur. Everyone from Warhol to drag queens to tourists in the know passed through its unmarked doors. John Waters once joked that Angela Lansbury was spotted calmly watching a scene unfold like it was regional theater.
Its brick-arched ceilings and raw vibe were so iconic, it stood in for the Mineshaft in the film Cruising. As the AIDS crisis and gentrification hit, Hellfire evolved—toning down, changing names—but its energy never fully left until it finally closed in the early 2000s.
