diff --git a/caravel/assets/utils/common.js b/caravel/assets/utils/common.js
index f96c33bf70b65..13f7071c119b7 100644
--- a/caravel/assets/utils/common.js
+++ b/caravel/assets/utils/common.js
@@ -1,4 +1,7 @@
 /* eslint global-require: 0 */
+import persistState from 'redux-localstorage';
+import { compose } from 'redux';
+
 const d3 = window.d3 || require('d3');
 
 export const EARTH_CIRCUMFERENCE_KM = 40075.16;
diff --git a/caravel/templates/caravel/explore.html b/caravel/templates/caravel/explore.html
index 1ea84c5de88dc..57e0c3a4c7fae 100644
--- a/caravel/templates/caravel/explore.html
+++ b/caravel/templates/caravel/explore.html
@@ -1,307 +1,15 @@
 {% extends "caravel/basic.html" %}
 
-{% block title %}
-  {% if slice %}
-    [slice] {{ slice.slice_name }}
-  {% else %}
-    [explore] {{ viz.datasource.table_name }}
-  {% endif %}
-{% endblock %}
-
 {% block body %}
-  {% set datasource = viz.datasource %}
-  {% set form = viz.form %}
-
-  {% macro panofield(fieldname)%}
-    <div>
-      {% set field = form.get_field(fieldname)%}
-      <div>
-        {{ field.label }}
-        {% if field.description %}
-        <i class="fa fa-question-circle-o" data-toggle="tooltip" data-placement="right"
-          title="{{ field.description }}"></i>
-        {% endif %}
-        {{ field(class_=form.field_css_classes(field.name)) }}
-      </div>
-    </div>
-  {% endmacro %}
-
-  <div class="datasource container-fluid">
-    <form id="query" method="GET" style="display: none;">
-      <div id="form_container" class="row">
-        <div class="col-md-3">
-          <div
-            id="js-query-and-save-btns"
-            class="query-and-save-btns-container"
-            data-can-add="{{ can_add }}"
-          >
-          </div>
-
-          <div class="panel panel-default">
-            <div class="panel-heading">
-              <div class="panel-title">
-                Datasource & Chart Type
-              </div>
-            </div>
-            <div class="panel-body">
-              <div>
-                <!-- DATASOURCE -->
-                <span title="Data Source" data-toggle="tooltip">
-                  <select id="datasource_id" class="select2">
-                    {% for ds in datasources %}
-                      <option url="{{ ds.explore_url }}" {{ "selected" if ds.id == datasource.id }} value="{{ ds.id }}">{{ ds.full_name }}<i class="fa fa-info"></i></option>
-                    {% endfor %}
-                  </select>
-                </span>
-                <a href="{{ datasource.url }}" data-toggle="tooltip" title="Edit/configure datasource">
-                  <i class="fa fa-edit m-l-3"></i>
-                </a>
-              </div>
-              <br/>
-              <!-- CHART TYPE -->
-              <div title="Visualization Type" data-toggle="tooltip">
-                {{ form.get_field("viz_type")(class_="select2-with-images") }}
-              </div>
-            </div>
-          </div>
-          {% for fieldset in form.fieldsets %}
-              <div class="panel panel-default">
-                {% if fieldset.label %}
-                  <div class="panel-heading">
-                    <div class="panel-title">
-                      {{ fieldset.label }}
-                      {% if fieldset.description %}
-                        <i class="fa fa-question-circle-o" data-toggle="tooltip"
-                              data-placement="bottom"
-                              title="{{ fieldset.description }}"></i>
-                      {% endif %}
-                    </div>
-                  </div>
-                {% endif %}
-                <div class="panel-body">
-                  {% for fieldname in fieldset.fields %}
-                    {% if not fieldname %}
-                      <hr/>
-                    {% elif fieldname is string %}
-                      {{ panofield(fieldname) }}
-                    {% else %}
-                      <div class="row">
-                        <div class="form-group">
-                          {% for name in fieldname %}
-                          <div class="col-xs-{{ (12 / fieldname|length) | int }}">
-                            {% if name %}
-                              {{ panofield(name) }}
-                            {% endif %}
-                          </div>
-                          {% endfor %}
-                        </div>
-                      </div>
-                    {% endif %}
-                  {% endfor %}
-                </div>
-              </div>
-            {% endfor %}
-            <div id="filter_panel" class="panel panel-default">
-              <div class="panel-heading">
-                <div class="panel-title">
-                  {{ _("Filters") }}
-                  <i  class="fa fa-question-circle-o" data-toggle="tooltip"
-                      data-placement="right"
-                      title="{{_("Filters are defined using comma delimited strings as in <US,FR,Other>")}}.
-                      {{_("Leave the value field empty to filter empty strings or nulls")}}.
-                      {{_("For filters with comma in values, wrap them in single quotes,
-                      as in <NY, 'Tahoe, CA', DC>")}}">
-                  </i>
-                </div>
-              </div>
-              <div class="panel-body">
-                <div id="flt0" style="display: none;">
-                  <span class="">{{ form.flt_col_0(class_="form-control inc") }}</span>
-                  <div class="row">
-                    <span class="col col-sm-4">{{ form.flt_op_0(class_="form-control inc") }}</span>
-                    <span class="col col-sm-6">{{ form.flt_eq_0(class_="form-control inc") }}</span>
-                    <button type="button" class="btn btn-default btn-sm remove" aria-label="Delete filter">
-                      <span class="fa fa-minus"  aria-hidden="true"></span>
-
-                    </button>
-                  </div>
-                </div>
-                <div id="filters"></div>
-                <button type="button" id="plus" class="btn btn-default btn-sm" aria-label="Add a filter">
-                  <span class="fa fa-plus" aria-hidden="true"></span>
-                  <span>{{ _("Add filter") }}</span>
-                </button>
-              </div>
-            </div>
-
-
-            {% if form.having_col_0 %}
-              <div id="having_panel" class="panel panel-default">
-                <div class="panel-heading">
-                  <div class="panel-title">
-                    Result Filters ("having" filters)
-                    <i
-                      class="fa fa-info-circle"
-                      data-toggle="tooltip"
-                      data-placement="bottom"
-                      title="{{_("The filters to apply after post-aggregation.")}} {{_("Leave the value field empty to filter empty strings or nulls")}}">
-                    </i>
-                  </div>
-                </div>
-                <div class="panel-body">
-                  <div id="having0" style="display: none;">
-                    <span class="">{{ form.having_col_0(class_="form-control inc") }}</span>
-                    <div class="row">
-                      <span class="col col-sm-4">{{ form.having_op_0(class_="form-control inc") }}</span>
-                      <span class="col col-sm-6">{{ form.having_eq_0(class_="form-control inc") }}</span>
-                      <button type="button"
-                              class="btn btn-default btn-sm remove"
-                              aria-label="Delete filter">
-                                    <span class="fa fa-minus"
-                                          aria-hidden="true"></span>
-                      </button>
-                    </div>
-                  </div>
-                  <div id="filters"></div>
-                  <button type="button" id="plus"
-                          class="btn btn-default btn-sm"
-                          aria-label="Add a filter">
-                    <span class="fa fa-plus" aria-hidden="true"></span>
-                    <span>Add filter</span>
-                  </button>
-                </div>
-              </div>
-            {% endif %}
-          {{ form.slice_id() }}
-          {{ form.slice_name() }}
-          {{ form.collapsed_fieldsets() }}
-          <input type="hidden" name="action" id="action" value="">
-          <input type="hidden" name="userid" id="userid" value="{{ userid }}">
-          <input type="hidden" name="goto_dash" id="goto_dash" value="false">
-          <input type="hidden" name="datasource_name" value="{{ datasource.name }}">
-          <input type="hidden" name="datasource_id" value="{{ datasource.id }}">
-          <input type="hidden" name="datasource_type" value="{{ datasource.type }}">
-          <input type="hidden" name="previous_viz_type" value="{{ viz.viz_type or "table" }}">
-      </div>
-      <div class="col-md-9">
-        {% block messages %}{% endblock %}
-        {% include 'appbuilder/flash.html' %}
-        <div class="panel panel-default">
-          <div class="panel-heading">
-            <div class="panel-title">
-              <div class="clearfix">
-                <div class="pull-left">
-                  {% include 'caravel/partials/_explore_title.html' %}
-                </div>
-                <div class="pull-right">
-                  <div class="slice-meta-controls pull-right">
-                    <span id="is_cached" class="label label-default m-r-3" title="{{ _("Force refresh" )}}" data-toggle="tooltip">
-                      cached
-                    </span>
-                    <span
-                      class="label label-warning m-r-3"
-                      id="timer"
-                      title="{{ _("Query timer") }}"
-                      data-toggle="tooltip">
-                      {{ _("0 sec") }}
-                    </span>
-
-                    <span
-                      id="js-explore-actions"
-                      data-can-download="{{can_download}}"
-                    >
-                    </span>
-                  </div>
-                </div>
-              </div>
-            </div>
-          </div>
-          <div class="panel-body">
-            <div
-              id="{{ viz.token }}"
-              class="widget viz slice {{ viz.viz_type }}"
-              data-slice="{{ viz.json_data }}"
-              style="height: 700px;">
-              <img src="{{ url_for("static", filename="assets/images/loading.gif") }}" class="loading" alt="loading">
-              <div id="{{ viz.token }}_con" class="slice_container" style="height: 100%; width: 100%"></div>
-            </div>
-          </div>
-        </div>
-      </div>
-
-      <div class="modal fade" id="sourceinfo_modal" tabindex="-1" role="dialog" aria-labelledby="myModalLabel">
-        <div class="modal-dialog modal-lg" role="document">
-          <div class="modal-content">
-            <div class="modal-header">
-              <button type="button" class="close" data-dismiss="modal" aria-label="Close">
-                <span aria-hidden="true">&times;</span>
-              </button>
-              <h4 class="modal-title">{{ _("Datasource Description") }}</h4>
-            </div>
-            <div class="modal-body">
-              {{ datasource.description_markeddown | safe }}
-            </div>
-            <div class="modal-footer">
-              <button type="button" class="btn btn-default" data-dismiss="modal">{{ _("Close") }}</button>
-            </div>
-          </div>
-        </div>
-      </div>
-      <div class="modal fade" id="save_modal" tabindex="-1" role="dialog">
-        <div class="modal-dialog" role="document">
-          <div class="modal-content">
-            <div class="modal-header">
-              <button type="button" class="close" data-dismiss="modal" aria-label="Close">
-                <span aria-hidden="true">&times;</span>
-              </button>
-              <h4 class="modal-title">{{ _("Save a Slice") }}</h4>
-            </div>
-            <div class="modal-body">
-              {% if slice %}
-                <input
-                    type="radio"
-                    name="rdo_save"
-                    value="overwrite"
-                    {{ 'disabled' if not can_edit else '' }}
-                    {{ 'checked' if can_edit else '' }}>
-                Overwrite slice [{{ slice.slice_name }}] <br><br>
-              {% endif %}
-              <input
-                id="save_as_new"
-                type="radio"
-                name="rdo_save"
-                value="saveas"
-                {{ 'checked' if not slice or not can_edit else '' }}>
-              Save as
-              <input type="text" name="new_slice_name" placeholder="[slice name]"><br>
-              <hr/>
-              <input type="radio" name="add_to_dash" checked value="false">Do not add to a dashboard<br><br>
-              <input id="add_to_dash_existing" type="radio" name="add_to_dash" value="existing">Add slice to existing dashboard
-              <input type="text" id="save_to_dashboard_id" name="save_to_dashboard_id"><br><br>
-              <input type="radio" id="add_to_new_dash" name="add_to_dash" value="new">Add to new dashboard
-              <input type="text" name="new_dashboard_name" placeholder="[dashboard name]">  <br><br>
-            </div>
-            <div class="modal-footer">
-              <button type="button" id="btn_modal_save" class="btn pull-left">
-                {{ _("Save") }}
-              </button>
-              <button type="button" id="btn_modal_save_goto_dash" class="btn btn-primary pull-left gotodash" disabled>
-                {{ _("Save & go to dashboard") }}
-              </button>
-              <button type="button" class="btn btn-default pull-right" data-dismiss="modal">
-                {{ _("Cancel") }}
-              </button>
-            </div>
-          </div>
-        </div>
-      </div>
-    </form>
-  </div>
+  <div
+    id="js-explore-view-container"
+    data-bootstrap="{{ bootstrap_data }}"
+  ></div>
 {% endblock %}
 
 {% block tail_js %}
   {{ super() }}
-  {% with filename="explore" %}
+  {% with filename="explorev2" %}
     {% include "caravel/partials/_script_tag.html" %}
   {% endwith %}
 {% endblock %}
diff --git a/caravel/views.py b/caravel/views.py
index 11e6a6901f2d9..8e682ff0a2d18 100755
--- a/caravel/views.py
+++ b/caravel/views.py
@@ -1195,11 +1195,18 @@ def explore(self, datasource_type, datasource_id, slice_id=None):
                 template = "caravel/standalone.html"
             else:
                 template = "caravel/explore.html"
-            return self.render_template(
-                template, viz=viz_obj, slice=slc, datasources=datasources,
-                can_add=slice_add_perm, can_edit=slice_edit_perm,
-                can_download=slice_download_perm,
-                userid=g.user.get_id() if g.user else '')
+                bootstrap_data = {
+                    "can_add": slice_add_perm,
+                    "can_download": slice_download_perm,
+                    "can_edit": slice_edit_perm,
+                    # TODO: separate endpoint for fetching datasources
+                    "datasources": [(d.id, d.full_name) for d in datasources],
+                    "datasource_id": datasource_id,
+                    "datasource_type": datasource_type,
+                    "user_id": g.user.get_id() if g.user else None,
+                    "viz": json.loads(viz_obj.get_json())
+                }
+            return self.render_template(template, bootstrap_data=json.dumps(bootstrap_data))
 
     @has_access
     @expose("/exploreV2/<datasource_type>/<datasource_id>/<slice_id>/")