In its earliest days, Depot maintained a full horse stable and employed veterinarians, training Mounties in the horsemanship that would become synonymous with the force's image. That changed in 1966 when horsemanship was dropped from cadet training, though the RCMP Musical Ride preserves the equestrian tradition at separate facilities. The Academy evolved with Canadian society. Military-style discipline gradually gave way to curriculum focused on the multiple facets of modern law enforcement. Today's cadets are typically ten years older than their 1950s counterparts, and the ratio of college and university-educated trainees keeps climbing decade after decade. Higher maturity levels mean fewer disciplinary actions and more time for instructors to focus on the demanding requirements of contemporary police work.

Cadet training runs 26 weeks, offered in English or in a bilingual English-French format. Cadets learn firearms handling at a complex with three indoor ranges, including two 25-metre ranges and one 100-metre range. They study defensive tactics, police driving on specialized tracks, physical fitness, drill, and applied police sciences. Trainees receive CA$525 weekly during training in exchange for a two-year commitment to the force upon completion. Cadets are organized into troops of up to 32 men and women who complete their entire training together. Upon graduation, they earn the status of peace officers. Experienced officers from other Canadian police agencies with at least two years of service can complete a condensed five-week orientation program instead.

Depot's buildings span the entire history of the force. The Headquarters Building, constructed in 1913 on the original site of North-West Mounted Police headquarters, now bears the name of Commissioner A. B. Perry. The Drill Hall, built in 1929 as a Riding School, hosts foot drill training, crowd control exercises, troop graduations, and Regimental Balls. The Learning Resource Centre maintains extensive law enforcement reference materials with connections to the University of Regina and Regina Public Library collections. The Firearms Complex houses modern training simulators alongside traditional ranges. Buffalo Detachment, opened in 1994, replicates a modern working RCMP station where cadets practice real-world scenarios in a controlled environment.

The chapel's journey to Regina began with its construction in Ontario, then transport by flatcar to the end of the rail line, by steamer across water, and finally by ox team to its current location. Originally a mess hall, it was partially destroyed by fire in spring 1895 and rebuilt as a chapel at the request of Mrs. Herchmer, wife of the police commissioner. NWMP carpenters crafted the altar and pews themselves. The chapel was dedicated on December 8, 1895. Stained glass windows memorialize fallen officers, including those honoring Constable Willis Edward Rhodeniser, shot on the White Bear Reserve near Carlyle, Saskatchewan, on August 26, 1939. The model for the memorial windows was Constable John Roy Fraser of Westville, Nova Scotia, who posed in 1943 and retired as a staff sergeant in 1960.

The RCMP Heritage Centre opened in May 2007 as a non-profit charitable organization, replacing the former Centennial Museum that had operated since 1933. Queen Elizabeth II had officially opened the Centennial Museum in 1973 to mark the RCMP's hundredth anniversary. The old museum closed in October 2006, with its collection transferred to the new Heritage Centre. The Centennial Building now houses an auditorium, simulator training classrooms, and a mess hall. Throughout Depot, history layers upon history: the Medical Treatment Centre with its modern clinic and therapy rooms, the Learning Technology Centre with video conferencing suites, the Police Driving Unit with its fleet of vehicles and specialized tracks. All serve cadets who carry forward a tradition that began when the North-West Mounted Police first established their headquarters on this patch of prairie.