This thesis proposes a framework for approaching the rehabilitation of industrial mill ruins for heritage tourism in Great Lakes Region. The framework outlines how to determine if an industrial ruin site may be appropriate for this reuse and the best approaches to conversion. Maintenance, economic, and interpretive challenges to consider within the pre-planning projectphase are also addressed. The framework is intended as a tool for preservation professionals. Themethodology includes a survey of literature on Romanticism, ruin preservation, and industrial heritage tourism paired with a review of planning and survey documentation and cursory site surveys of two industrial ruin tourism sites in Minneapolis, Minnesota: Mill City Museum and Mill Ruins Park. Within the region, Minneapolis was chosen for its strong industrial history and economic stability. The framework is intended to diversify approaches to mill ruin preservation, provide guidance for their reuse, and streamline the planning process.