diff --git a/src/explorer/explore.jl b/src/explorer/explore.jl
index 98b78a775..818481e38 100644
--- a/src/explorer/explore.jl
+++ b/src/explorer/explore.jl
@@ -112,6 +112,11 @@ function explore(sim_inst::SimulationInstance; title="Electron", model_index::In
  
 end
 
+# Helper function returns true if VegaLite is verison 3 or above, and false otherwise
+function _is_VegaLite_v3()
+    return isdefined(VegaLite, :vlplot) ? true : false
+end
+
 """
     plot(m::Model, comp_name::Symbol, datum_name::Symbol; interactive::Bool = false)
 
@@ -128,10 +133,8 @@ function plot(m::Model, comp_name::Symbol, datum_name::Symbol; interactive::Bool
     spec = Mimi._spec_for_item(m, comp_name, datum_name, interactive=interactive)
     spec === nothing ? error("Spec cannot be built.") : VLspec = spec["VLspec"]
 
-    return VegaLite.VLSpec{:plot}(VLspec)
-
+    return _is_VegaLite_v3() ? VegaLite.VLSpec(VLspec) : VegaLite.VLSpec{:plot}(VLspec)
 end
-
 """
     plot(sim_inst::SimulationInstance, comp_name::Symbol, datum_name::Symbol; interactive::Bool = false, model_index::Int = 1, scen_name::Union{Nothing, String} = nothing, results_output_dir::Union{Nothing, String} = nothing)
 
@@ -158,5 +161,6 @@ function plot(sim_inst::SimulationInstance, comp_name::Symbol, datum_name::Symbo
     spec = Mimi._spec_for_sim_item(sim_inst, comp_name, datum_name, results; interactive = interactive, model_index = model_index)
     spec === nothing ? error("Spec cannot be built.") : VLspec = spec["VLspec"]
 
-    return VegaLite.VLSpec{:plot}(VLspec)
+    return _is_VegaLite_v3() ? VegaLite.VLSpec(VLspec) : VegaLite.VLSpec{:plot}(VLspec)
+
 end
diff --git a/test/test_explorer_model.jl b/test/test_explorer_model.jl
index fc06f1f20..a309632f4 100644
--- a/test/test_explorer_model.jl
+++ b/test/test_explorer_model.jl
@@ -7,6 +7,11 @@ using Electron
 import Mimi: 
     dataframe_or_scalar, _spec_for_item, menu_item_list, getdataframe, dim_names
 
+# Helper function returns true if VegaLite is verison 3 or above, and false otherwise
+function _is_VegaLite_v3()
+    return isdefined(VegaLite, :vlplot) ? true : false
+end
+
 @defcomp MyComp begin
     a = Parameter(index=[time, regions])
     b = Parameter(index=[time])
@@ -70,7 +75,8 @@ close(w)
 items = [:a, :b, :c, :d, :e, :f, :x]
 for item in items
     p = Mimi.plot(m, :MyComp, item)
-    @test typeof(p) == VegaLite.VLSpec{:plot}
+    p_type = _is_VegaLite_v3() ? VegaLite.VLSpec : VegaLite.VLSpec{:plot}
+    @test typeof(p) == p_type
 end
 
 #6.  errors and warnings
diff --git a/test/test_explorer_sim.jl b/test/test_explorer_sim.jl
index f72055fce..ba74fd29d 100644
--- a/test/test_explorer_sim.jl
+++ b/test/test_explorer_sim.jl
@@ -73,48 +73,56 @@ close(w)
 
 ## 3. Plots
 
+function plot_type_test(p)
+    if _is_VegaLite_v3()
+        @test typeof(p) == VegaLite.VLSpec
+    else
+        @test typeof(p) == VegaLite.VLSpec{:plot}
+    end
+end
+
 # trumpet plot
 p = Mimi.plot(si, :emissions, :E_Global)
-@test typeof(p) == VegaLite.VLSpec{:plot}
+plot_type_test(p)
 p = Mimi.plot(si, :emissions, :E_Global; interactive = true)
-@test typeof(p) == VegaLite.VLSpec{:plot}
+plot_type_test(p)
 
 p = Mimi.plot(si_disk, :emissions, :E_Global, results_output_dir = results_output_dir)
-@test typeof(p) == VegaLite.VLSpec{:plot}
+plot_type_test(p)
 p = Mimi.plot(si_disk, :emissions, :E_Global; interactive = true, results_output_dir = results_output_dir)
-@test typeof(p) == VegaLite.VLSpec{:plot}
+plot_type_test(p)
 
 @test_throws ErrorException p = Mimi.plot(si_disk, :emissions, :E_Global) #should error, no in-memory results
 
 # mulitrumpet plot
 p = Mimi.plot(si, :emissions, :E)
-@test typeof(p) == VegaLite.VLSpec{:plot}
+plot_type_test(p)
 p = Mimi.plot(si, :emissions, :E; interactive = true);
-@test typeof(p) == VegaLite.VLSpec{:plot}
+plot_type_test(p)
 
 p = Mimi.plot(si_disk, :emissions, :E, results_output_dir = results_output_dir)
-@test typeof(p) == VegaLite.VLSpec{:plot}
+plot_type_test(p)
 p = Mimi.plot(si_disk, :emissions, :E; interactive = true, results_output_dir = results_output_dir);
-@test typeof(p) == VegaLite.VLSpec{:plot}
+plot_type_test(p)
 
 # histogram plot
 p = Mimi.plot(si, :grosseconomy, :share_var)
-@test typeof(p) == VegaLite.VLSpec{:plot}
+plot_type_test(p)
 p = Mimi.plot(si, :grosseconomy, :share_var; interactive = true); # currently just calls static version
-@test typeof(p) == VegaLite.VLSpec{:plot}
+plot_type_test(p)
 
 p = Mimi.plot(si_disk, :grosseconomy, :share_var; results_output_dir = results_output_dir)
-@test typeof(p) == VegaLite.VLSpec{:plot}
+plot_type_test(p)
 p = Mimi.plot(si_disk, :grosseconomy, :share_var; interactive = true, results_output_dir = results_output_dir); # currently just calls static version
-@test typeof(p) == VegaLite.VLSpec{:plot}
+plot_type_test(p)
 
 # multihistogram plot
 p = Mimi.plot(si, :grosseconomy, :depk_var)
-@test typeof(p) == VegaLite.VLSpec{:plot}
+plot_type_test(p)
 p = Mimi.plot(si, :grosseconomy, :depk_var; interactive = true); 
-@test typeof(p) == VegaLite.VLSpec{:plot}
+plot_type_test(p)
 
 p = Mimi.plot(si_disk, :grosseconomy, :depk_var; results_output_dir = results_output_dir)
-@test typeof(p) == VegaLite.VLSpec{:plot}
+plot_type_test(p)
 p = Mimi.plot(si_disk, :grosseconomy, :depk_var; interactive = true, results_output_dir = results_output_dir); 
-@test typeof(p) == VegaLite.VLSpec{:plot}
+plot_type_test(p)