Industry has existed since ancient times, but for most of history it involved a marginal part of the world's population, as most people earned their living in hunting and gathering, and later in farming.

The history of steam power and the Industrial Revolution begins approximately where the early modern and colonial era artisanal handicraft end. The initial source of power was water to operate streamside mills; this gave way to steam and then to electricity. Great Britain was a forerunner in this process; see Industrial Britain.

Railroads were an important component of the Industrial Revolution, and heritage railways often reconstruct industrial technology of the steam era. On the other end of the time (and speed) scale, high speed rail has nothing museum-like to it but can also make the journey the destination. In some towns, a former mine site may be open for guided tours. Some former industrial sites are now museums.

A few locations have (or had) entire company towns built around a single industry or manufacturer.

The second industrial revolution began in the 1870s and saw the rise of new great powers, such as the United States, Germany and Japan.

Automotive history is a common theme for museums, along with rail travel and other transport infrastructure. Trains that used to carry kings and empresses have a particularly high chance of having been preserved and they are often centerpieces of their respective museums. Route 66 in particular is closely intertwined with nostalgia for the automotive manufacturers of yesteryear.

Deindustrialization is the dismantling of industrial facilities, or in some cases downsizing of workforce due to automation. Since the mid-20th century, many industries in high-income countries have shut down. If there are few other jobs in the region, they leave behind ghost towns. Cities with a growing service sector, such as New York City, Berlin or London have seen redevelopment of industrial areas for housing, offices and hospitality. In some cases, whole districts have been leveled, and in other cases, much of the original architecture remains. See Stockholm environmentalist tour for a case study.

A few working industrial companies, as a promotional or public relations exercise, may operate visitors centers, conduct guided factory tours or provide opportunities to see products being manufactured.

An electric generating station may want to state its case as to the relative merits of splitting an atom or damming a mighty river. Manufacturers of handicrafts may wish to demonstrate how their products are locally hand-made. Some manufacturers of food or consumer goods operate a store on the factory site, inviting the voyager to watch cheese or candy actually being locally made before buying some to sample or take home.

Industrial tourism overlaps science to some degree. Nuclear tourism, automotive history, aviation history, space flight sites, mining tourism, textiles, hacker tourism and math tourism explore different technological fields.

• Industrial Britain and the Industrialization of the United States cover part of the history of the Industrial Revolution.
• Industrial tourism in India
• Sites of Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution
• History of organized labor
• RMS Titanic describes the 1912 tragic collision of technology and nature.

• American Industry Tour through the US northeast, the former industrial heartland and "Rust Belt"
• Bertha Benz Memorial Route in Southwestern Germany – follow in the tracks of the first intercity automotive test pilot
• Industrial Heritage Trail (Route der Industriekultur) in Western Germany
• Motorcities Tour in and around Detroit

The openness of active industrial sites to tourism is, for the most part, very limited. While some manufacturers offer a tour or a description of what they do as a public relations exercise, much or most of the facility is likely to be off-limits to protect equipment and commercial trade secrets; restrictions are also applied for safety reasons. Many or most sites restrict or prohibit travel photography. The only access is usually as part of a strictly-controlled guided tour; you are not free to leave the group and wander around the production areas independently.

Restrictions often apply to protect product and process; a manufacturer will protect semiconductors from static electricity, valuables from theft or foodstuffs from all manner of contamination. The only opportunity to watch that cheese or candy being made often will be through a wall of glass windows from a visitors gallery if separating viewers from active production protects the quality or integrity of the finished product.

Museum sites are less restrictive as they are often purpose-built for tourism and visitors. The status of other former (or abandoned) manufacturing sites varies; various hazards may still be present and the leave-no-trace principle applies to protect the site.

A working factory, despite best efforts of workers, management and unions to build a safer workplace, is filled with powerful machinery, potentially hazardous materials and all manner of processes and equipment which may require specific precautions. Factory visits will be carefully organized, supervised tours and there will usually be a visible gap (ranging from a windowed permanent visitors' gallery to a simple yellow line on the factory floor) separating visitors from work in progress. Various protective devices (safety glasses, earplugs, hard hats, steel-toe boots, work gloves) will be needed and supplied, depending on the job site. A necktie quickly becomes a noose if caught in fast-moving industrial machinery; jewelry and loose clothing may also be restricted for safety reasons. Most factory tours will impose a minimum age for visitors if safety hazards are present. Your hosts will inform you of any specific required precautions on arrival.

• European Route of Industrial Heritage
• Historical travel, ghost towns and urbex
• Open-air museums; many of them depict the early modern and colonial era, at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution
• Underground works sometimes have former or current industrial applications
• Visiting company headquarters
• Travel for rail enthusiasts often includes sites that were or continue to be industrially significant