diff --git a/gridlock/read.py b/gridlock/read.py
index bbd4f39..2fe35d5 100644
--- a/gridlock/read.py
+++ b/gridlock/read.py
@@ -90,8 +90,8 @@ def visualize_slice(
         which_shifts: int = 0,
         sample_period: int = 1,
         finalize: bool = True,
-        pcolormesh_args: Optional[Dict[str, Any]] = None,
-        ) -> None:
+        pcolormesh_args: dict[str, Any] | None = None,
+        ) -> tuple['matplotlib.axes.Axes', 'matplotlib.figure.Figure']:
     """
     Visualize a slice of a grid.
     Interpolates if given a position between two planes.
@@ -102,6 +102,9 @@ def visualize_slice(
         which_shifts: Which grid to display. Default is the first grid (0).
         sample_period: Period for down-sampling the image. Default 1 (disabled)
         finalize: Whether to call `pyplot.show()` after constructing the plot. Default `True`
+
+    Returns:
+        (Figure, Axes)
     """
     from matplotlib import pyplot
 
@@ -120,15 +123,17 @@ def visualize_slice(
     xmesh, ymesh = numpy.meshgrid(x, y, indexing='ij')
     x_label, y_label = ('xyz'[a] for a in surface)
 
-    pyplot.figure()
-    pyplot.pcolormesh(xmesh, ymesh, grid_slice, **pcolormesh_args)
-    pyplot.colorbar()
-    pyplot.gca().set_aspect('equal', adjustable='box')
-    pyplot.xlabel(x_label)
-    pyplot.ylabel(y_label)
+    fig, ax = pyplot.subplots()
+    mappable = ax.pcolormesh(xmesh, ymesh, grid_slice, **pcolormesh_args)
+    fig.colorbar(mappable)
+    ax.set_aspect('equal', adjustable='box')
+    ax.set_xlabel(x_label)
+    ax.set_ylabel(y_label)
     if finalize:
         pyplot.show()
 
+    return fig, ax
+
 
 def visualize_isosurface(
         self,
@@ -138,7 +143,7 @@ def visualize_isosurface(
         sample_period: int = 1,
         show_edges: bool = True,
         finalize: bool = True,
-        ) -> None:
+        ) -> tuple['matplotlib.axes.Axes', 'matplotlib.figure.Figure']:
     """
     Draw an isosurface plot of the device.
 
@@ -149,6 +154,9 @@ def visualize_isosurface(
         sample_period: Period for down-sampling the image. Default 1 (disabled)
         show_edges: Whether to draw triangle edges. Default `True`
         finalize: Whether to call `pyplot.show()` after constructing the plot. Default `True`
+
+    Returns:
+        (Figure, Axes)
     """
     from matplotlib import pyplot
     import skimage.measure
@@ -190,3 +198,5 @@ def visualize_isosurface(
 
     if finalize:
         pyplot.show()
+
+    return fig, ax