The article considers main approaches to and possibilities of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) application in historical scholarship. Foreign researchers point out great potential of geoinformational technologies, taking into account all the specifics of historical studies. This article suggests subdividing approaches to geoinformational technologies application according to the problem-solving tasks they help to facilitate. GIS analysis shows that their development leads to updating of different sources, primarily source maps. Geoinformational technologies allow to reveal relations between various phenomena in some cases or to identify an alternative point of view on well characterized issues in others. Researchers try find the best ways and approaches to using geoinformational technologies that are taking into account the specific character of historical studies. Geographic Information Systems can be created for the local (for example, urban history) and national level (national GIS for entire nation). Geographic Information Systems are better suited for the analysis of statistical information, but more recently, they have often been used in relation to the descriptive information, for example, Literary GIS.