The Public Gallery Housed at street level entered from a three story internal atrium, the Public Gallery of the Museum is at the center of Burt Matthews Hall on the campus of the University of Waterloo. The main entrance to the building is a few steps from a public parking lot and a municipal bus stop. Two external walls of the Public Gallery are glass, which offer the public an external view of the current exhibits as they walk through the atrium. The Museum Gallery features changing thematic exhibits throughout the year.
Exhibits change approximately every four months.
There are no permanent exhibits. Each exhibit examines the cultural and historic context of the games on display, often highlighting socio-economic and political factors related to the objects on display. At times, in addition to the posted informational material about the objects on display, fact sheets and associated reference material on the general topic are made available to Gallery visitors. Most exhibits feature a hands-on area in which visitors can play certain games. Objects on display are drawn from the Museum's Permanent Collection, from the collections of other museums, and from private collectors.