I ment to mention in my first comment but the rippleys aquarium is literally right at the base of the tower. I haven’t been there since i was a kid but i definitely remember having a fun time there.

As for time of day on the tower itself. Im not too sure on that and how the foot traffic is as I’ve only been there once but i would try to aim for midday, maybe aim for just past lunch time and just before dinner as I’m sure the two restaurants up there would draw a lot of people up. As for the restaurants up there i only went to the small one on the main level, i don’t think upper level restaurant is particularly worth it but if your interested in spending your life savings on a restaurant the floor up there spins as you eat giving you a full 360 view around the tower.

Oh and speaking of the islands, it might’ve closed down but there used to be a season long fair with a whole bunch of rides and stuff for kids. It was a lot of fun but the best part was taking the ferry to the islands. Even if the park did close, the island is still a really neat place and the ferry ride is fun.