I HAVE HEARD SOME PEOPLE DRY THEM RIGHT IN THEIR LIVING ROOM, DINING ROOM, KITCHEN, ANYWHERE THAT YOU HAVE SPACE.
YOU CAN ALSO DRY THEM IN YOUR GARAGE, PORCH.. ETC. THEY NEED TO GET SOME AIR MOVEMENT TO MINIMIZE MOLD GROWTH ON THEM. TO HEP THIS. YOU CAN WIPE/WASH THEM WITH SOME VINEGAR OR LIGHT CHLORINE SOLUTION, COUPLE OF TIMES. BUT SOMETIMES MOLD GROWTH STAIN CAN BE VERY NICE AND INTERESTING. MOLD ONLY AFFECTS THE OUTER SURFACE LAYER AND CANNOT DAMAGE THE FULLY RIPE GOURD.

BUT DO NOT PICK YOUR GOURDS YET. LEAVE THEM ON THE VINE TILL FROST EVEN LATER. fULLY MATURED GOURD (ESPECIALLY LAGENARIA) CAN EVEN BE LEFT OUTSIDE ALL WINTER, SO i HAVE HEARD. BUT ORNAMENTAL GOURDS MAY OR MAY NOT TOLERATE FREEZING TEMPS. SO I BRING THEM IN AND HANG THEM OR SET THEM ON SHELVES IN MY WORKSHOP(NOT HEATED).

CYRUS

Here is a great site on drying gourds..

Here is a link that might be useful: Drying Gourds

I grew some dipper gourds and birdhouse gourds a couple years ago. I left them on a wire table on a covered porch outside all through the winter (so they got alot of ventilation). Then I bought several of those nylon mesh duffle bags and put the gourds in there and hung them from a hook on my covered porch. They are still there, 2 years later! I keep planning on making birdhouses out of them, but haven't gotten around to it.

I put a bunch on top of my wood pile and left them out all winter, turning them every other month or so. Some didn't make it, but most did. Very easy method if you don't mind losing a few.

Diana Lynn

If gourds are matured before the vines die, almost nothing can damage them. But when they are fresh and have lots of moisture contents (curing time), they will benefit from a lot of air movement, to help dry faster and prevent mold growth and possible roting.
The gourds that do not make it, are probably the ones that were not matured on a living vine.

I like the nylon mesh bag Idea. This way you can hang a whole bunch of them closely. So they are not on your way and dry faster too. Where do you find these bags at?

Anyway, in my area summer seems to be winding down a bit. By no means I can pronounce the end of summer yet but I can smell the fall faintly. The leaves on my gourds are losing color slowly, some getting yellow.And some vines have stopped flowering. I see some of the gourds stems are getting brown and the process of maturing/curing is underway. It has benn a long gourd season for mae. I sowed my gourd seeds in late April, early may. So it has been almost 4 months.
It was a good season in the sun!!

catherinet has given a great link there for info on drying gourds. Want to hear something pathetic? I had two little gourd plants given to me - I thought they were for the little Tennessee Spinners but surprise, surprise I grew two little egg gourds! I was as happy as could be - until we came home from camping and found that the rotten deer had stolen/eaten one of them! Grrrrr. Perhaps next year I can grow some Tennessee Spinners! Thank goodness we have gourd friends who have had a great growing year. Good luck from Kalamazoo MI