Peres Center for Peace and Innovation

The Peres Center for Peace and Innovation Israel in Israel, on the Tel Aviv waterfront in Jaffa, is an interactive museum and exhibition center dedicated to Israeli innovation, technology, and the vision of Shimon Peres, Israel’s ninth president and Nobel Peace Prize laureate. The center, opened in February 2019 after Peres’s death in 2016, combines a memorial to Peres with a showcase of Israeli technological achievements.

The Peres Center for Peace and Innovation

The center is housed in a striking contemporary building designed by Italian architect Massimiliano Fuksas, perched on the Jaffa waterfront with panoramic views of the Mediterranean. The flowing, asymmetric design is meant to evoke a bird in flight. The building opened in 2019 on land between old Jaffa and the modern Tel Aviv coastline, a location that mirrors Peres’s lifelong effort to bridge past and future.

Innovation Center

The museum’s main exhibition presents Israeli innovations across fields including agriculture, water technology, medicine, cybersecurity, space, and artificial intelligence. Interactive displays allow visitors to experience the technologies firsthand. The exhibition traces how a small country with limited natural resources became a global leader in innovation and entrepreneurship, connecting Peres’s early work building Israel’s defense and technology infrastructure to the startup ecosystem that exists today.

Peres’s Legacy

The center documents Peres’s extraordinary career: from the young protege of Ben-Gurion who built Israel’s defense industry and nuclear program, to the architect of the Oslo Accords who shared the Nobel Peace Prize with Yitzhak Rabin and Yasser Arafat, to the elder statesman who became president at age 83 and devoted his final years to promoting peace and innovation. Peres served in every major government role over seven decades: Defense Minister, Foreign Minister, Finance Minister, twice Prime Minister, and finally President. He died on September 28, 2016, at the age of 93, and world leaders from more than 70 countries attended his funeral on Mount Herzl. The center he envisioned opened two and a half years later as both a memorial to his life and a living embodiment of his belief that Israel’s future lay in brainpower, not territory.

Planning Your Visit

Visits to the Peres Center must be coordinated in advance. The center does not operate on a walk-in basis for guided experiences. Groups can arrange a private guided tour tailored to their interests, or they can join an existing scheduled group tour. The private tour option allows the guide to focus on specific themes, whether that is Israeli innovation, Peres’s diplomatic legacy, or the broader story of how Israel built its technology sector. For tour groups, the Peres Center works well as part of a broader Jaffa itinerary, combining the waterfront museum with the old city and the flea market. Contact the center or your tour operator to arrange a visit that fits your schedule and group size.

Visit with Hoshen Tours

A visit to Peres Center pairs beautifully with nearby destinations along your route. Consider combining it with a stop at Tel Aviv or Jaffa, both just a short drive away. Many travelers also enjoy exploring Tel Aviv Port and Yarkon Springs on the same day, while HaTachana offers another worthwhile addition to your itinerary. Your Hoshen Tours guide will craft a seamless route that brings each destination to life with expert commentary and insider knowledge.