diff --git a/src/Plots.jl b/src/Plots.jl
index c957ab8a..337880da 100644
--- a/src/Plots.jl
+++ b/src/Plots.jl
@@ -99,7 +99,9 @@ export
     center,
     P2,
     P3,
-    BezierCurve
+    BezierCurve,
+
+    plotattr
 
 # ---------------------------------------------------------
 
@@ -127,6 +129,7 @@ include("animation.jl")
 include("output.jl")
 include("examples.jl")
 include("arg_desc.jl")
+include("plotattr.jl")
 
 
 # ---------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/src/plotattr.jl b/src/plotattr.jl
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..cc8d053b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/plotattr.jl
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+
+const _attribute_defaults =  Dict(:Series => _series_defaults,
+                        :Subplot => _subplot_defaults,
+                        :Plot => _plot_defaults,
+                        :Axis => _axis_defaults)
+
+attrtypes() = join(keys(_attribute_defaults), ", ")
+attributes(attrtype::Symbol) = sort(collect(keys(_attribute_defaults[attrtype])))
+
+function lookup_aliases(attrtype, attribute)
+    attribute = Symbol(attribute)
+    attribute = in(attribute, keys(_keyAliases)) ? _keyAliases[attribute] : attribute
+    in(attribute, keys(_attribute_defaults[attrtype])) && return attribute
+    error("There is no attribute named $attribute in $attrtype")
+end
+
+function plotattr()
+    println("Specify an attribute type to get a list of supported attributes. Options are $(attrtypes())")
+end
+
+function plotattr(attrtype::Symbol)
+    in(attrtype, keys(_attribute_defaults)) || error("Viable options are $(attrtypes())")
+    println("Defined $attrtype attributes are:\n$(join(attributes(attrtype), ", "))")
+end
+
+function plotattr(attribute::AbstractString)
+    attribute = Symbol(attribute)
+    attribute = in(attribute, keys(_keyAliases)) ? _keyAliases[attribute] : attribute
+    for (k, v) in _attribute_defaults
+        if in(attribute, keys(v))
+            return plotattr(k, "$attribute")
+        end
+    end
+    error("There is no attribute named $attribute")
+end
+
+function plotattr(attrtype::Symbol, attribute::AbstractString)
+    in(attrtype, keys(_attribute_defaults)) || ArgumentError("`attrtype` must match one of $(attrtypes())")
+
+    attribute = Symbol(lookup_aliases(attrtype, attribute))
+
+    desc = get(_arg_desc, attribute, "")
+    first_period_idx = findfirst(desc, '.')
+    typedesc = desc[1:first_period_idx-1]
+    desc = strip(desc[first_period_idx+1:end])
+    als = keys(filter((_,v)->v==attribute, _keyAliases)) |> collect |> sort
+    als = join(map(string,als), ", ")
+    def = _attribute_defaults[attrtype][attribute]
+
+
+    # Looks up the different elements and plots them
+    println("$attribute ", typedesc == "" ? "" : "{$typedesc}", "\n",
+        als == "" ? "" : "$als\n",
+        "\n$desc\n",
+        "$(attrtype) attribute, ", def == "" ? "" : " default: $def")
+end