diff --git a/napari/_vispy/canvas.py b/napari/_vispy/canvas.py
index 14fa277e5a0..4493a3e5a07 100644
--- a/napari/_vispy/canvas.py
+++ b/napari/_vispy/canvas.py
@@ -166,6 +166,12 @@ def __init__(
         self.viewer.camera.events.zoom.connect(self._on_cursor)
         self.viewer.layers.events.reordered.connect(self._reorder_layers)
         self.viewer.layers.events.removed.connect(self._remove_layer)
+        self.viewer.multi_channel_gridcanvas.events.enabled.connect(
+            self._on_grid_change
+        )
+        self.viewer.multi_channel_gridcanvas.events.stride.connect(
+            self._on_grid_change
+        )
         self.destroyed.connect(self._disconnect_theme)
 
     @property
@@ -334,7 +340,14 @@ def _map_canvas2world(
             of the viewer.
         """
         nd = self.viewer.dims.ndisplay
-        transform = self.view.scene.transform
+        # TODO: figure out how to extent this to all grid boxes, main thing is to see which viewbox the mouse is hovering over
+        # and to get the transform solely of that viewbox. This would allow compatibility with current code returning one
+        # position world.
+        if self.viewer.multi_channel_gridcanvas.enabled:
+            transform = self.grid_views[0].scene.transform
+        else:
+            transform = self.view.scene.transform
+
         # cartesian to homogeneous coordinates
         mapped_position = transform.imap(list(position))
         if nd == 3:
@@ -681,3 +694,56 @@ def screenshot(self) -> QImage:
     def enable_dims_play(self, *args) -> None:
         """Enable playing of animation. False if awaiting a draw event"""
         self.viewer.dims._play_ready = True
+
+    def _on_grid_change(self):
+        """Change grid view"""
+        if self.viewer.multi_channel_gridcanvas.enabled:
+            grid_shape, n_gridboxes = (
+                self.viewer.multi_channel_gridcanvas.actual_shape(
+                    len(self.layer_to_visual)
+                )
+            )
+
+            self.grid = self.central_widget.add_grid()
+            camera = self.camera._view.camera
+            self.grid_views = [
+                self.grid.add_view(
+                    row=y, col=x, camera=camera if y == 0 and x == 0 else None
+                )
+                for y in range(grid_shape[0])
+                for x in range(grid_shape[1])
+                if x * y < n_gridboxes
+            ]
+            self.camera._view = self.grid_views[0]
+            self.central_widget.remove_widget(self.view)
+            # del self.view
+            self.grid_cameras = [
+                VispyCamera(
+                    self.grid_views[i], self.viewer.camera, self.viewer.dims
+                )
+                for i in range(len(self.grid_views[1:]))
+            ]
+
+            for ind, layer in enumerate(self.layer_to_visual.values()):
+                if ind != 0:
+                    self.grid_views[ind].camera = self.grid_cameras[
+                        ind - 1
+                    ]._view.camera
+                    self.grid_views[ind].camera.link(self.grid_views[0].camera)
+                layer.node.parent = self.grid_views[ind].scene
+        else:
+            for layer in self.layer_to_visual.values():
+                layer.node.parent = self.view.scene
+            self.central_widget.remove_widget(self.grid)
+            self.central_widget.add_widget(self.view)
+            self.camera._view = self.view
+
+            # TODO properly disconnect events of grid and delete all viewboxes
+            del self.grid
+
+            for camera in self.grid_cameras:
+                camera.disconnect()
+                del camera
+
+            # TODO respect 3d camera if enabled
+            self.camera._view.camera = self.camera._2D_camera
diff --git a/napari/components/grid.py b/napari/components/grid.py
index cd8d6f79c25..8ac74a99d88 100644
--- a/napari/components/grid.py
+++ b/napari/components/grid.py
@@ -121,3 +121,98 @@ def position(self, index: int, nlayers: int) -> tuple[int, int]:
         i_row = adj_i // n_column
         i_column = adj_i % n_column
         return (i_row, i_column)
+
+
+# TODO: mixin class to combine with GridCanvas
+class MultiChannelGridCanvas(EventedModel):
+    """Multichannel gridcanvas.
+    Grid mode with multiple cameras
+    Attributes
+    ----------
+    enabled : bool
+        If grid is enabled or not.
+    stride : int
+        Number of layers to place in each grid square before moving on to
+        the next square. The default ordering is to place the most visible
+        layer in the top left corner of the grid. A negative stride will
+        cause the order in which the layers are placed in the grid to be
+        reversed.
+    shape : 2-tuple of int
+        Number of rows and columns in the grid. A value of -1 for either or
+        both of will be used the row and column numbers will trigger an
+        auto calculation of the necessary grid shape to appropriately fill
+        all the layers at the appropriate stride.
+    """
+
+    # fields
+    # See https://github.com/pydantic/pydantic/issues/156 for why
+    # these need a type: ignore comment
+    stride: GridStride = 1  # type: ignore[valid-type]
+    shape: tuple[GridHeight, GridWidth] = (-1, -1)  # type: ignore[valid-type]
+    enabled: bool = False
+
+    def actual_shape(self, nlayers: int = 1) -> tuple[tuple[int, int], int]:
+        """Return the actual shape of the grid.
+        This will return the shape parameter, unless one of the row
+        or column numbers is -1 in which case it will compute the
+        optimal shape of the grid given the number of layers and
+        current stride.
+        If the grid is not enabled, this will return (1, 1).
+        Parameters
+        ----------
+        nlayers : int
+            Number of layers that need to be placed in the grid.
+        Returns
+        -------
+        shape : 2-tuple of int
+            Number of rows and columns in the grid.
+        """
+        if not self.enabled:
+            return (1, 1), 0
+
+        if nlayers == 0:
+            return (1, 1), 0
+
+        n_row, n_column = self.shape
+        n_grid_squares = np.ceil(nlayers / abs(self.stride)).astype(int)
+
+        if n_row == -1 and n_column == -1:
+            n_column = np.ceil(np.sqrt(n_grid_squares)).astype(int)
+            n_row = np.ceil(n_grid_squares / n_column).astype(int)
+        elif n_row == -1:
+            n_row = np.ceil(n_grid_squares / n_column).astype(int)
+        elif n_column == -1:
+            n_column = np.ceil(n_grid_squares / n_row).astype(int)
+
+        n_row = max(1, n_row)
+        n_column = max(1, n_column)
+
+        return (n_row, n_column), n_grid_squares
+
+    def position(self, index: int, nlayers: int) -> tuple[int, int]:
+        """Return the position of a given linear index in grid.
+        If the grid is not enabled, this will return (0, 0).
+        Parameters
+        ----------
+        index : int
+            Position of current layer in layer list.
+        nlayers : int
+            Number of layers that need to be placed in the grid.
+        Returns
+        -------
+        position : 2-tuple of int
+            Row and column position of current index in the grid.
+        """
+        if not self.enabled:
+            return (0, 0)
+
+        shape, n_gridboxes = self.actual_shape(nlayers)
+
+        # Adjust for forward or reverse ordering
+        adj_i = nlayers - index - 1 if self.stride < 0 else index
+
+        adj_i = adj_i // abs(self.stride)
+        adj_i = adj_i % (shape[0] * shape[1])
+        i_row = adj_i // shape[1]
+        i_column = adj_i % shape[1]
+        return (i_row, i_column)
diff --git a/napari/components/viewer_model.py b/napari/components/viewer_model.py
index 12e6b1c47d3..a7bba8067ac 100644
--- a/napari/components/viewer_model.py
+++ b/napari/components/viewer_model.py
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@
 from napari.components.camera import Camera
 from napari.components.cursor import Cursor, CursorStyle
 from napari.components.dims import Dims
-from napari.components.grid import GridCanvas
+from napari.components.grid import GridCanvas, MultiChannelGridCanvas
 from napari.components.layerlist import LayerList
 from napari.components.overlays import (
     AxesOverlay,
@@ -183,6 +183,9 @@ class ViewerModel(KeymapProvider, MousemapProvider, EventedModel):
     cursor: Cursor = Field(default_factory=Cursor, allow_mutation=False)
     dims: Dims = Field(default_factory=Dims, allow_mutation=False)
     grid: GridCanvas = Field(default_factory=GridCanvas, allow_mutation=False)
+    multi_channel_gridcanvas: MultiChannelGridCanvas = Field(
+        default_factory=MultiChannelGridCanvas, allow_mutation=False
+    )
     layers: LayerList = Field(
         default_factory=LayerList, allow_mutation=False
     )  # Need to create custom JSON encoder for layer!
@@ -257,6 +260,11 @@ def __init__(
         settings.application.events.grid_spacing.connect(
             self._update_viewer_grid
         )
+        self.multi_channel_gridcanvas.stride = settings.application.grid_stride
+        self.multi_channel_gridcanvas.shape = (
+            settings.application.grid_height,
+            settings.application.grid_width,
+        )
         settings.experimental.events.async_.connect(self._update_async)
 
         # Add extra events - ideally these will be removed too!