Many smaller communities (at least in Illinois) have parks in or near their downtowns. I've come across several where the park serves as the town square. Beyond the traditional slide and swing set, parks provide a great opportunity for a town to be unique for the benefit of its residents as well as visitors who may come to the downtown.
There are a ton of examples where communities have created very unusual and engaging parks. Maybe your town should consider being one of them. For now; here is one example of an out of the ordinary park.
http://www.playgroundprofessionals.com/magazine/issues/2016/03/playground-theater403
More other ideas of unique parks can be found at this website (as well as several other websites):
http://www.playgroundprofessionals.com/
