Watch CBS News

What Are 'Pay Phones' Doing In Downtown Dallas?

DALLAS (KRLD-AM) - Three pay phones have popped up in downtown Dallas, but they're not what you think.

"These are not actually functioning pay phones," said Justin Childress, one of the designers with the WonderPhone project.

The phones are meant to be like time machines, taking the person on the other end of the line into the past, present and future. The phones have prerecorded messages that you can listen to by pressing one of the ten numbers on the keypad.

WonderPhone project
WonderPhone project (Chelsea Wade - KRLD)

"People can choose from a variety of options. They can listen to a story from Dallas' past, stories about Dallas' future recorded by students at City Lab High School and a musical interlude by local musician, DiMitri Higginbotham," said Childress.

WonderPhone project
WonderPhone project (Chelsea Wade - KRLD)

Press 7, and you'll become part of the project. "This has been a pretty popular option," said Childress. "You're given a prompt, such as 'tell us a secret no one else knows' or 'tell us about the legacy you hope to personally leave here in Dallas,' and then you record your response. Option 8 gives people the opportunity to listen to what you have recorded."

WonderPhone project
WonderPhone project (Chelsea Wade - KRLD)

But time is running out to see one of these unique art installations.

The phones will be taken down at the end of the month. There's one at Pegasus Plaza on Main at Akard. The other two are at Commerce and Browder.

Click here to learn more about the WonderPhone project.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.