diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/gridspec.py b/lib/matplotlib/gridspec.py
index b2f1b5d8ff2e..9cd9b81f9aca 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/gridspec.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/gridspec.py
@@ -309,10 +309,10 @@ def subplots(self, *, sharex=False, sharey=False, squeeze=True,
         if squeeze:
             # Discarding unneeded dimensions that equal 1.  If we only have one
             # subplot, just return it instead of a 1-element array.
-            return axarr.item() if axarr.size == 1 else axarr.squeeze()
+            return axarr.item() if axarr.size == 1 else AxesArray(axarr.squeeze())
         else:
             # Returned axis array will be always 2-d, even if nrows=ncols=1.
-            return axarr
+            return AxesArray(axarr)
 
 
 class GridSpec(GridSpecBase):
@@ -736,3 +736,70 @@ def subgridspec(self, nrows, ncols, **kwargs):
                 fig.add_subplot(gssub[0, i])
         """
         return GridSpecFromSubplotSpec(nrows, ncols, self, **kwargs)
+
+
+class AxesArray:
+    """
+    A container for a 1D or 2D grid arrangement of Axes.
+
+    This is used as the return type of ``subplots()``.
+
+    Formerly, ``subplots()`` returned a numpy array of Axes. For a transition period,
+    AxesArray will act like a numpy array, but all functions and properties that
+    are not listed explicitly below are deprecated.
+    """
+    def __init__(self, array):
+        self._array = array
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def _ensure_wrapped(ax_or_axs):
+        if isinstance(ax_or_axs, np.ndarray):
+            return AxesArray(ax_or_axs)
+        else:
+            return ax_or_axs
+
+    def __getitem__(self, index):
+        return self._ensure_wrapped(self._array[index])
+
+    @property
+    def __array_struct__(self):
+        return self._array.__array_struct__
+
+    @property
+    def ndim(self):
+        return self._array.ndim
+
+    @property
+    def shape(self):
+        return self._array.shape
+
+    @property
+    def size(self):
+        return self._array.size
+
+    @property
+    def flat(self):
+        return self._array.flat
+
+    @property
+    def flatten(self):
+        """[Disouraged] Use ``axs.flat`` instead."""
+        return self._array.flatten
+
+    @property
+    def ravel(self):
+        """[Disouraged] Use ``axs.flat`` instead."""
+        return self._array.ravel
+
+    @property
+    def __iter__(self):
+        return iter([self._ensure_wrapped(row) for row in self._array])
+
+    def __getattr__(self, item):
+        # forward all other attributes to the underlying array
+        # (this is a temporary measure to allow a smooth transition)
+        attr = getattr(self._array, item)
+        _api.warn_deprecated("3.9",
+                             message=f"Using {item!r} on AxesArray is deprecated.",
+                             pending=True)
+        return attr
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_subplots.py b/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_subplots.py
index cf5f4b902e24..d067edd2543e 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_subplots.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_subplots.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 import numpy as np
 import pytest
 
+import matplotlib as mpl
 from matplotlib.axes import Axes, SubplotBase
 import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
 from matplotlib.testing.decorators import check_figures_equal, image_comparison
@@ -283,3 +284,80 @@ def test_old_subplot_compat():
     assert not isinstance(fig.add_axes(rect=[0, 0, 1, 1]), SubplotBase)
     with pytest.raises(TypeError):
         Axes(fig, [0, 0, 1, 1], rect=[0, 0, 1, 1])
+
+
+class TestAxesArray:
+    @staticmethod
+    def contain_same_axes(axs1, axs2):
+        return all(ax1 is ax2 for ax1, ax2 in zip(axs1.flat, axs2.flat))
+
+    def test_1d(self):
+        axs = plt.figure().subplots(1, 3)
+        # shape and size
+        assert axs.shape == (3,)
+        assert axs.size == 3
+        assert axs.ndim == 1
+        # flat
+        assert all(isinstance(ax, Axes) for ax in axs.flat)
+        assert len(set(id(ax) for ax in axs.flat)) == 3
+        # flatten
+        assert all(isinstance(ax, Axes) for ax in axs.flatten())
+        assert len(set(id(ax) for ax in axs.flatten())) == 3
+        # ravel
+        assert all(isinstance(ax, Axes) for ax in axs.ravel())
+        assert len(set(id(ax) for ax in axs.ravel())) == 3
+        # single index
+        assert all(isinstance(axs[i], Axes) for i in range(axs.size))
+        assert len(set(axs[i] for i in range(axs.size))) == 3
+# iteration
+        assert all(ax1 is ax2 for ax1, ax2 in zip(axs, axs.flat))
+
+    def test_1d_no_squeeze(self):
+        axs = plt.figure().subplots(1, 3, squeeze=False)
+        # shape and size
+        assert axs.shape == (1, 3)
+        assert axs.size == 3
+        assert axs.ndim == 2
+        # flat
+        assert all(isinstance(ax, Axes) for ax in axs.flat)
+        assert len(set(id(ax) for ax in axs.flat)) == 3
+        # 2d indexing
+        assert axs[0, 0] is axs.flat[0]
+        assert axs[0, 2] is axs.flat[-1]
+        # single index
+        axs_type = type(axs)
+        assert type(axs[0]) is axs_type
+        assert axs[0].shape == (3,)
+        # iteration
+        assert all(self.contain_same_axes(axi, axs[i]) for i, axi in enumerate(axs))
+
+    def test_2d(self):
+        axs = plt.figure().subplots(2, 3)
+        # shape and size
+        assert axs.shape == (2, 3)
+        assert axs.size == 6
+        assert axs.ndim == 2
+        # flat
+        assert all(isinstance(ax, Axes) for ax in axs.flat)
+        assert len(set(id(ax) for ax in axs.flat)) == 6
+        # flatten
+        assert all(isinstance(ax, Axes) for ax in axs.flatten())
+        assert len(set(id(ax) for ax in axs.flatten())) == 6
+        # ravel
+        assert all(isinstance(ax, Axes) for ax in axs.ravel())
+        assert len(set(id(ax) for ax in axs.ravel())) == 6
+        # 2d indexing
+        assert axs[0, 0] is axs.flat[0]
+        assert axs[1, 2] is axs.flat[-1]
+        # single index
+        axs_type = type(axs)
+        assert type(axs[0]) is axs_type
+        assert axs[0].shape == (3,)
+        # iteration
+        assert all(self.contain_same_axes(axi, axs[i]) for i, axi in enumerate(axs))
+
+    def test_deprecated(self):
+        axs = plt.figure().subplots(2, 2)
+        with pytest.warns(PendingDeprecationWarning,
+                          match="Using 'diagonal' on AxesArray"):
+            axs.diagonal()