Layton Castle

I loved living at the castle with my husband and young daughter. We did not expect perfection, we reveled in the beauty of it! The grand windows, beautiful wood floors and awesome mantles! We never experienced ghosts. It is a gracious place and we loved it!!

I had the opportunity to visit Layton Castle while a cousin from out of state was staying in one of the apartments. I am a native of the area and have always wanted to see the castle. As a child, our family would drive past and all we could see was the view through the gates. Of course the castle needs a lot of tender loving care, but I was thrilled to finally get to enter the gates, walk the grounds, take some pictures and see the apartment my family members were staying in. If you let your imagination run wild just a little you can see that at one time it would have met anyone's expectations of what it was like to live in this castle in Monroe Louisiana.

The gin soaked ruin and her house and furnishings have seen better days. The staff had assets on display - but possibly her only talents. Won't be back

My husband and I lived there in the early 1970's. It was not in good shape then, but wonderful atmosphere. The last Mr. Layton died 3 days after we moved in and he was buried in the family cemetery, the view from my 2nd floor living room. Yes, there are definately ghosts in that house !! My husband and several other people living in the apts. experienced them ! Mrs. Layton was a lovely lady and I had the pleasure of visiting with her numerous times. The family section of the home was run down but beautiful antiques and paintings. The wood herringbone pattern floors were magnificent. Wouldn't trade my experience of living there for anything in the world. Great memories of the old place and exploring the home, grounds and history of it.

Layton Castle is one of the most beautiful pieces of property that I have ever photoed on before. The trees are grand. The graveyard is a very neat site. There are graves from the the late 1800's. I cant wait to be able to photo more of the castle and its surroundings. You really should take the time to stop and check out this wonderful piece of Monroe, Louisiana History.

These reviews of the castle that are negative are horrible. How do you think you will look 200 years later. I have been inside of Mrs Parsons personal part of the castle and there is nothing wrong with it. They are antiques everywhere. If you went expecting shinny gold and perfect funiture than you need to go to a museum in Paris or something. This place is awesome if you are looking for a real castle. THIS IS NOT A FAIRLYTELL CASTLE. You should go with an open mind and just enjoy what is left of this very special place. The yard is beautiful and the trees are grand. Mrs Parson is a very very sweet old lady. So when you are 90 years old, you are going to remember everything right?!? I cant believe what I read about this sweet old lady. I have delt with her on several ocasions and I loved her very much. She has a unique accent and she if full of valueable information about the castle and her ansestors. I havent been on my full tour yet but I cant wait to see the rest of the castle. TV corupts the imagination so dont show up expecting to see a European Medival Castle. Just go with an open mind and be prepared for some interesting facts about Monroe, LA. Thank You Mrs Parsons for still allowing people to tour your home.

If you like a ghostly atmosphere it is in the castle. Having grown up in Monroe, I always heard the stories of the ghost of the woman who walked the levee on the Ouachita River searching for her lost love. Story has it that her lover left for sea and she would stand on the balcony waiting and watching for his return. He never came back and I can't remember if she died of natural causes or committed suicide. It was a great attraction on Halloween. The adults would ride us by there and stop then start with the ghost stories. My son also rented an apartment in Layton's Castle. He and his wife told of kitchen cabinets being open when they knew they had closed them and of locking the door at bedtime and getting up during the night to find the front door unlocked several times. My daughter-in-law was pregnant at the time and after the several experiences with the open cabinet doors and the front door being unlocked she would not stay there at night by herself when my son work the graveyard shift. We heard of a maintenance man mowing the lawn and moving the head stones. He couldn't read so he didn't know which head stones went with each grave. I believe my son's stories but don't know if the others are folklore or not. When we visited my son at the castle I was quite scared. I shouted out when leaving his apartment to the spirits, "NONE OF YOU ARE WELCOME TO COME HOME WITH ME!!!!!!"

The castle is in generally bad shape, although the grounds are amazing. I loved spending time on my balcony admiring the view. However, I could not use my toaster oven and the microwave at the same time without starting a fire. Also, I would not advise anyone to drink the water. As far as the place smelling like a bar, that's because the owner is rather fond of her gin. She was quite difficult to deal with and was the ultimate reason I moved out.

Being a native of Monroe, and having grown up around Layton Castle, it is a big landmark in my history. If you go looking for a pristine palace, you will be disappointed. However if you go looking for an authentic castle in the south, then you will be surprised. The grounds have these amazingly old trees, they are majestic and quite grand. The castle was converted to apartments to help make money for it's upkeep, even being in a not so great neighborhood, it's presence is still a miracle. Take a look and ask yourself how amazing is this? A castle in Monroe, LA? While you are there find some good southern cooked food and enjoy a picnic on the grounds beneath the trees.

The grounds are beautiful-- I spent many nights under the grand oak trees or lying under the Ginkgo trees as they turned golden during the winter months. However, the condition of my apartment which was in the "grand" turret was a shamble. I had a great view of the Ouachita River and the surroundings. The owner, Dame Carol Parsons, was extremely rude and almost unbearable. Fortunately, she was away most of the time I lived there. I would definitely suggest you drive by and take a quick glance but wouldn't advise you to spend any money on a tour. However, if the Dame is in residence the day you do tour, it might offer you more of a comic relief and could be worth the time and money—you decide and be certain to write your own review.