Subjects covered during the walks may include geology, paleontology, botany, zoology, and ranching history. The Cook Collection and fossils are common topics of ranger talks. During the months of June, July and August 2000, five Lakota artists will be participating in a traditional artist in residence program at Agate Fossil Beds National Monument. The artists create original artwork in the visitor center, demonstrating their expertise and sharing Lakota culture with visitors.
Finished pieces are often available for purchase by visitors.
The visitor center houses three rooms of exhibits, the Hitchcock Theater and the Cook Collection Gallery. The life size fossil diorama depicts life and death at the Agate waterhole, 19.2 million years in the past. An interactive computer tour offers visitors a glimpse of things to bee seen on the monument's two trails. Two hide paintings were prepared for The Cook Collection exhibits by Lakota artists Dawn Little Sky and Martin Red Bear. The Running Water Winter Count hide painted by Dawn introduces visitors to the method that Lakota historians used to record events important to the people.