Rare images of NYC nightclubs from the 1980s and ’90s, including the Limelight and Roxy

The nightclubs of the 1980s and ’90s were often wild landscapes that attracted unique nocturnal animals.

The Club Kids, led by impresario Michael Alig, turned places like the Limelight into backdrops of drug- and techno-induced drama, while live music dens like the Village Gate presented stages to some great jazz musicians.

A glimpse through the rare images below will remind you that as with everything in the city, the scene is constantly changing. These photos, from the early ’80s into the late ’90s, give glimpses of what it was like at iconic clubs such as the Limelight and Wetlands Preserve.

Let the party begin.