Sure you just need to setup a local web server. Check out XAMPP: http://www.apachefriends.org/en/xampp.html
That will get you up and running in about 10 minutes.
There is now a way to run php locally without installing a server: https://stackoverflow.com/a/21872484/672229
Yes but the files need to be processed. For example you can install test servers like mamp / lamp / wamp depending on your plateform.
Basically you need apache / php running.